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I is a strange loop

Marcus du Sautoy & Victoria Gould

— ,The Pit
Two people in a cube

From the creative ensemble behind Complicité’s sensational A Disappearing Number, this two-hander unfolds to reveal an intriguing take on mortality, consciousness and artificial life.

Alone in a cube that glows in the darkness, X is content with his infinite universe and abstract thought. But then Y appears, insisting they interact, exposing him to her sensory and physical existence. Each begins to hanker after what the other has until a remarkable thing happens … involving a strange loop. 

Featuring acting mathematicians Marcus du Sautoy and Victoria Gould – both stellar contributors to recent Complicité hits – I is a strange loop is part of a Barbican series investigating consciousness through music, machines and the mind. Led by Du Sautoy, who takes inspiration from the 40th anniversary of Douglas Hofstadter’s seminal book, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, the triptych finds links between systems and creativity, technology and humanity, using theatre, music and art. 
 

Tagged with: Theatre & dance Life Rewired strange loops

Duration: 1 hour 20 mins, no interval
Age guidance: 8+
 

Presented by the Barbican. Supported by the Simonyi Fund.

Creative team

  • Dermot Keaney   Director
  • Stephen Hiscock   Music

Reviews

‘Britain’s most charismatic mathematician‘
Deborah Orr, Independent on Marcus du Sautoy

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With thanks

The Royal Society

The Pit

Location
The Pit is located on Level -2 within the main Barbican building and can be accessed via the stairs or lifts on Level G, next to the doors to the Lakeside Terrace. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

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