Presented by American In Tent at We Are Vocal, Am I Alone? John K comes to the digital strand of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Written, directed, composed and performed by Stephanie Vlahos, it focuses on one man: John K Mercury is an “accident astronaut”, a “beautiful spirit on an epic journey”.
Performed to camera, this story is odd from the start, curious and quirky. John K wants away from the planet and on a voyage to Mars.
Both sci-fi story and a piece of performance art, this is bleak and blackly comic. At just 38 minutes, Am I Alone? John K has a lot of invention with its images and sound effects.
There is a poetic tinge to Vlahos’s words and performance. We face both our pasts and our futures, what we have been and where we might be going. I also thought of 2001‘s HAL at times.
The voice of John K is measured, blunt, as it blends with that of the author, who becomes her character and confessor. Mars is still a place of potential aliens, hut not necessarily the mythical little green men.
A piece which tackles loneliness, emptiness, and existence, this is ultimately a show which celebrates connection and community.
Available on-demand throughout the Fringe, you can purchase tickets here.
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