Another successful world premiere at Sadler’s Wells East, Deepfake is a performance built around a “high-stakes television interview between a politician and a political journalist.” Created by award-winning directors and choreographers Jess & Morgs (Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple), this bold and visually striking production delivers an assault on the senses from the moment it begins and maintains this high-octane level for all of its 60-minute run time.
At the heart of the production is a mystery surrounding the 24 minutes during which the Prime Minister vanished from a formal event at Buckingham Palace. When footage emerges online showing him daubed in paint and in a state of undress, an interviewer begins a determined search for answers – but did it really happen or is something else at play?
The two central figures, Kennedy Muntanga as the Prime Minister and Rebecca Bassett-Graham as interviewer Kate Fielding, remain central to the production throughout. Their performances anchor the narrative, while seven dancers, dressed entirely in green, move around them on a sweeping curved green stage. The monochromatic design cleverly evokes a giant green screen, reinforcing the production’s themes of media manipulation and digital fabrication. Despite the scale of the venue, the set design draws the audience in, making the cavernous Sadler’s Wells East feel surprisingly intimate.
As the interview progresses, we are told that “every question has an answer, just as night follows day” and see the Prime Minister being coached on how to avoid the tricky issues: “If you don’t like a question, answer a different question.” When the subject of potentially fabricated videos comes up, the show is reminiscent of the television series The Capture, which delved into a conspiracy involving real-time deepfake technology. Who are we to believe when we can’t rely on the evidence of our own eyes?
Deepfake is a smorgasbord of entertainment blending dance, film, drama and chroma-screen technology in an ambitious crossover production with moments of remarkable creativity, brought to life by a hugely talented cast. At its best, the fusion of live performance and digital effects is genuinely exhilarating. There is a constantly shifting soundscape courtesy of Raffaela Pancucci, which embraces a huge range of musical styles and accompanies the projected video content, which features both live and prerecorded sections. There is also frequent movement of the chairs and other elements of the set whizzing around the stage. The result of all of this is that the production occasionally feels hectic, with so many elements vying simultaneously for the audience’s attention, and it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are ultimately here for the dance itself. Fortunately, nothing detracts from the fluidity, grace and passion that both Muntanga and Basset-Graham bring to their performance, surrounded by the anonymous, energetic green-clad dancers adding another level to the activity on stage.
Without giving away any plot spoilers, the question remains: do we believe the Prime Minister’s version of events? That is something each audience member will have to decide for themselves. Deepfake leaves plenty of room for interpretation, challenging perceptions of truth, manipulation and credibility in an age where seeing is no longer necessarily believing. Whatever conclusion you reach, this is a production that will stay with you long after the final curtain and undoubtedly give you much to think about.
Review by Fiona Gilbert
DEEPFAKE follows two central characters, a modern-day politician and a political journalist, in a high stakes interview situation. As the interview unravels, the green-screen setting of the TV studio and ‘green-screen dancers’ becomes a metaphor for half-truths and lies – playfully and absurdly revealing the manipulation in plain sight.
Using dance, film, text and innovative digital technology, this new work speaks to the global uncertainties of today and the crumbling notion of objective truth.
Prime Minister Kennedy Muntanga
Katie Fielding Rebecca Bassett-Graham
Green Screen Dancers Cathy Grealish, Dylan Springer, Tommi Sutton
Gimbal Operator Dancer Marshall Stay
Green Ensemble – Central School of Ballet Students Grace Broodie, Freya Burdon-Watson, Eva Rose Fellows, Evelien Van Den Hondel
Voice xOver Actors Claire Goose, Habib Nasib Nader
Created and Directed by Jess & Morgs
Choreography Morgann Runacre-Temple and Jessica Wright in collaboration with the dancers
Writer & Dramaturg Jeff James
Video Designer Dan Light
Set & Costume Designer Milla Clarke
Lighting Designer Simon Bennison
Sound Designer Raffaela Pancucci
Associate Dramaturg James Yeatman
Associate Set & Costume Designer Maya Heritage
Rehearsal Directors Mikaela Polley, Cat Carvelho, Adél Bálint
DEEPFAKE
Sadler’s Wells East
1 to 3 October 2026
