“I want you to know what’s happening…”

From what might be a news desk, an office, a bedroom, a bunker under a mountain or a theatre, two people – reporters, senators, freedom fighters, or just… well… concerned citizens like you – think about what it is to speak up, speak out, blow the whistle and lift the veil.

A Machine they’re Secretly Building – the latest project from Proto-type, a company of multi-disciplinary artists led by Rachel Baynton, Gillian Lees, and Andrew Westerside, charts a course from the Top Secret secrets of World War One intelligence (via the moon, 1972’s Chess World Championships, a disco in Oklahoma and the cafeteria at CERN) through to 9/11, the erosion of privacy, Edward Snowden and to the terror of a future that might already be upon us.

Proto-type have combined original text and classified intelligence documents with film from digital artist (and occasional comic artist) Adam York Gregory and sound design by Paul J. Rogers, to vent their frustration at the insidious machine of surveillance.

A Machine they’re Secretly Building is about how we got to the point where our governments are spying on us and how that’s changing who we are.

A Machine they’re Secretly Building – Remaining Tour Dates

18th February Lincoln performing Arts Centre, Lincoln
13th/14th April Oxford Playhouse, Oxford
27th April Warwick Arts Centre, Warwick University
18th June The Civic, Barnsley
19th June The Hub, Leeds
20th June Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield

• For more information visit the Proto-type web site

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek Magazine) and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War and “Dan Dare”. He’s the writer of "Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies" for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds

Tags: A Machine they’re Secretly Building, Adam York Gregory, downthetubes News, Proto-type, Theatre News