The System: New psychological thriller from Emily Head to stream online

A new play written and performed by Emily Head is to stream online in August.

Emily Head (The Inbetweeners, Emmerdale, The Syndicate) will star in the world premiere of her self-penned sharp psychological thriller, The System.

Presented by Original Theatre Company, the piece will stream live on stage in a single camera take at the New Wolsey Theatre on Friday 27 August 2021 at 7:30PM (BST). This production is one of Original Theatre Company’s most ambitious and exciting undertakings yet.

‘He’s dead. He died. Now he’s a dead person. He no longer lives.’ Paul’s dead. And no one seems to care. Murdered at his own birthday party.

In this incisive drama, the audience is invited into the interrogation room with the murder suspects. As, one by one, the murder suspects give their accounts of that night, a dark truth begins to reveal itself. A truth so powerful it could change everything… and everyone.

The System will push at the boundaries of what can be achieved in a theatre live broadcast as it will be filmed in one of the longest steadi-cam shots ever attempted. It promises an exciting feat of endurance, skill and synchronicity between the camera and performer.

The production is written and performed by Emily Head and directed by Guy Unsworth with camera work by Ben Eeley and design by David Woodhead.

Tickets priced from £10 are available online now from originaltheatreonline.com/productions. The live stream will be followed by a Q&A with Emily Head.

Emily Head said: “As both a writer and performer, the world of digital theatre is really fresh and exciting. What Guy Unsworth and the Original Theatre Company have done to take this production to the next level of an ‘at home theatre experience’ is extraordinary. It is truly a new way to enjoy live performance, and I’m delighted that my play, The System, is a part of it. By filming it in the way that we are, audiences will be able to watch the play in a way that is unique to the theatre-film genre, while still maintaining the thrill of watching theatre live.”

Guy Unsworth, Director, added: “Emily‘s impressive career spans both stage and screen, so it is both fitting and exciting to bring her writing debut to life in a combined theatre-film format. The Original Theatre Company have been pioneers of the digital theatre medium over the last 18 months and THE SYSTEM will be an ambitious step further into exploring how we capture live theatricality for an on-screen experience.”

Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of Original Theatre Company, commented: “The Systemis a fantastic new play which is being made in a unique, daring and high-risk way. It continues our work exploring the outer edges of what can be described as digital theatre in the hope of finding a new way of allowing audiences to experience the thrill of live performance from the comfort of home.”

Photo: Michael Wharley