The Royal Court Theatre has officially announced the full cast and creative team for the highly anticipated world premiere of Are You Watching? by Georgie Dettmer. Running from Friday, 29 May to Saturday, 4 July 2026, the production marks a bold professional playwriting debut for Dettmer, tackling the darkest corners of digital consumption and modern complicity.
A Star-Studded Ensemble
Directed by Jess Edwards (Conversations After Sex), the production features an impressive ensemble cast led by BIFA winner Kosar Ali (Rocks). Joining her are Olivier Award winner Maimuna Memon (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), Lucy McCormick (Cowbois), Billy Bolt, Abby McCann, and Nicholas Rowe.
The Digital Blur: Entertainment vs. Abuse
Are You Watching? is a searing examination of our attitudes toward pornography, the emergence of deepfakes, and the rising tide of violence against women. The narrative follows two primary threads: a journalist wired to a machine and a grieving mother whose tragedy is commodified for clicks. The play forces audiences to confront the blurring lines between entertainment and abuse, asking who is truly complicit and who remains in control of the narrative.
Playwright Georgie Dettmer explains that the work originated from her own experiences witnessing online horrors. "The play calls upon us, our bodies together in the room, to bear witness—with no screens in sight!" she notes. Director Jess Edwards adds that the show invites us to "look directly at where we invest our attention," blending catharsis and wit with the darker aspects of human nature.
Creative Team and Support
The production features design by Georgia Wilmot, lighting by Bethany Gupwell, and a score by composer and sound designer XANA. The project is notably supported by Genesis Next Generation at The Royal Court and is a recipient of the Concord Theatricals Unpublished Playwrights Award.
As the Royal Court continues its mission to platform provocative new voices, Are You Watching? arrives as a timely, visceral challenge to the digital age.
Tickets are available now via the Royal Court Theatre website.
