The robots are coming.  Or, at least, facsimiles of them are. Swallow-A-Bicycle Theatre is soon to present a performance which promises to be a spectacle of science fiction and raw entertainment. I-ROBOT Theatre, which debuted as a stage show in November 2011, has been given an update and will be a main attraction for Calgary’s upcoming art and technological festival, Beakerhead, running from September 11th to 15th.

Inspired by the book i-ROBOT Poetry by Jason Christie, it is to be held in the newly transformed Artbox on 17E. The trailer for the show, as seen on Swallow-A-Bicycle’s website, is both enchanting and puzzling, with a clear throwback to the campy science fiction of the Sixties and Seventies.

Science fiction is a trend that never dies - in fact, as we power into the future, it seems to be less like fiction and more and more like fact. The questions that arise with the possibility of artificial intelligence are becoming dominant in popular culture, and i-ROBOT Theatre sets the stage by describing a world where we, as humans, live in harmony with all of the electronics in our lives. Everything from the car to the toaster has the capability of human thought and emotion, and our harmony with it is jeopardized by the advent of change - and the robots’ search for self actualization.

The promoters are being understandably mysterious about what the production itself entails, though it promises technical innovation alongside clever and creative writing. However, a bit more light was shed by actor and writer Paul Welch, who plays a starring role.

Paul, the Artistic Director of Calgary’s Third Street Theatre and winner of the Betty Mitchell Award, is no stranger to the stage. In i-ROBOT he is Jonathon, an executive working for DreamCorp, a high-tech company that can be likened to Google - if Google spent more time attempting to fix animated consciousnesses into toasters, that is. Jonathan is pitching an android that has all of the functionality, versatility and preciseness of a robot, but with the ability to think and feel like a human. Naturally, the end goal is to make these androids indistinguishable from ourselves. Jonathan believes in this product so much he takes home the prototype to be his wife, and the fact that he truly loves this synthetic being is one of the themes the production addresses.

Paul also told me about Holleay Rohm’s character, who brings forth questions of her own as the android. Her struggle is that of the machine, and the differentiation between function and purpose in the larger scope of humanity. When the robots make the decision to rebel in i-ROBOT, they are fighting for their independence and sovereignty while also embarking on missions of self discovery. For her character, with her ability to think rationally and operate in a variety of parameters, who is to say she is not able to take control of her own destiny?

Integrating technology with the story, theatre goers will find both an aural and visual delight, as the play itself is set on a temporary soundstage. LED lights have been incorporated into costumes, and an array of tools from video to puppetry help i-ROBOT in its quest to see how far we can go in theatre technology, and what it can add to the telling of our stories.

The show is not the only way to get a techno-buzz this month, as Beakerhead promises an array of delights - from the molecular food craze to engineering an exciting morning commute on your way to work. Still, i-ROBOT promises to be a star among these delights and a truly unique theatre experience.

You can catch i-ROBOT Theatre from September 11th to its closing show on Sunday, September 22nd. Tickets are $25 per adult, with $20 tickets for students and seniors.