REVIEW: Deepfake, 404 Theater, EdFringe 2026 ★★★

The brainchild of Minh-Anh Day and Grace Goheen, Deepfake is a genuinely immersive 15-20 minute experience in which you are thrust into the role of Alex, the head of HR at an AI company. This is a nicely thought-out, albeit rather swift experience that raises some interesting questions about AI. 

Firstly, you’re made to fill out a form which is almost like a sort of personality test. You’re made to elaborate on why you went on holiday, your experience with the company, what you find fulfilling. You’re then led into an office, beautifully designed by the company, in which there are various files around deepfake technology. Two zoom calls ensue inbetween which there’s some research around deepfakes. At the end of the second call, you’re asked to make a decision about whether the AI company should launch a deepfake product; this is when the piece turns into a subtle technological horror. 

The attention to detail really elevates this. You are only briefly allowed to skim through the material but it has clearly been researched meticulously. To your right are clippings from world news outlets on the controversies of deepfake technology. The performers seem to vary from experience to experience, but they are convincing as co-workers and immerse you with aplomb. The structure of the office seems to be strangely correlated with the form you bring out at the beginning; perhaps this is a coincidence but this is an experience that always leaves you second guessing. 

You are made to make a tricky moral decision. It leads to a twist worth not spoiling, and after it, you’re uncomfortable, a little scared, a little blindsided. The experience ends here. In my opinion, this is a mistake. This is understandable from a strictly economic perspective. Immersive work is expensive, and it is crucial you are alone for this one. However, 15-20 minutes to conjure such an effect feels all too brief at the end of the show. There’s a version of this form that really gets under your skin. Deepfake prods at it, and it is a thrill, but barely an espresso shot. Still, it’s a nice shock, excellently conceived and performed.

Recommended Drink: I’ve always associated offices with instant coffee with milk. Drink one of them. 

Performances of Deepfake have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.