28th February Am I in the minority?

Imagine a scenario where an electronic chip implanted in your amygdalla, the part of your brain responsible for aggresison, was able to detect any thoughts an individial might have of contemplating doing great harm and even mudering another individual before the event actually takes place. 

Imagine signals from that device being automatically sent to a Pre-Crime policing unit dedicated to apprehending, detaining and punishing those individuals before they have the opportunity to commit such an offence. And by doing so violent crime and murder would be eliminated from our streets. 

Children would be able to play out, women would be able to walk home alone at night and the world would be a much, much safer place. Sounds a great idea doesn't it? One that surely everyone would one to see implemented and implanted wouldn't they?

That is the premise behind Minority Report, originally a book by Philip Dick, then a film made by Stephen Spielberg featurign Tom Cruise and now a new stage play that has its world premier in Nottingham last night. A good idea until you realise that anyone simply having such thoughts would be apprehended, detained and punished (sometimes lethally) even if having had those thoughts detected, they then went on a moment later to change their mind and would never actually committ such an assault. 

Where does that leave a person's ability to be angry and then change their mind through free will? Is there any possibilityof error and what happend when the inventor of the Pre Crime chip is herself deemed to have had murderous thoughts and finds she is in a race against time to save herself from the system she created!!

Any worries that a stage version would not be able to match the multi million pound production values of a Tom Cruise blockbuster were quickly dismissed at last nights packed premier. The eerie electronic music pulsing through the theatre set the scene before the stunning stage design, lighting, video projections, break neck choreography exploded into life in a technical triumph. 

A curious cross between the futuristic neon lit sets of Bladerunner and the emotional pull of the Curious Incident of the Dog at Midnight, it was one of the best productions I have seen in a long time as a single stage was very cleverly  transformed into multiple settings of secret underground bunkers, rainy city streets and starky furnished apartments.

Yes if I am honest the script was a bit clunky at times and some of the humour that made reference to smart devices such as 'Alexa'  and Apple watches being very retro seemed a little forced, but as a 90 min blast of how a show could be put together well I don't think I'll be in the minority when I encourage anyone who can to see it while they can. Not that you have to of course, after all at the end of the day it's a matter of free will.