Rushen Players will transport audiences to the ‘foreseeable future when everything has changed but human nature’ with their production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential.

Directed by Sarah Lockyer, performances take place at the Erin Arts Centre, in Port Erin tonight (Thursday), tomorrow and Saturday.

She said: ‘Audiences are in for a futuristic treat.’

Sarah explained: ‘When Ayckbourn wrote the comedy in the 1990s, he had no idea how accurate his vision of the future would be.

‘The play opens in a television studio where a jaded former Hollywood director is overseeing a hospital soap opera, performed not by human actors but by “actoids”: androids programmed to act all the roles required for run-of-the-mill TV dramas.

‘There is no room for creativity or artistic flair - that is, until one of the actoids starts laughing spontaneously, and a young writer decides to write a proper comedy script for her to star in.’

Sarah added: ‘Ayckbourn’s play has some satirical commentary about technology’s threat to the arts - especially relevant today, with the rise of AI - but it is also a hilarious comedy, with quirky characters, witty script and slapstick.

‘At its centre is a developing love story between android and human, with all its poignant implications.’

Robyn Hughes plays Jacie Triplethree, the rogue actoid, who draws on all the characters she has played in the past as her relationship develops with budding writer Adam Trainsmith (Juan Bridson).

Chandler Tate (Steve Blower) is eager to direct a real drama again, and his production team, Prim (Danny Berry) and Trudi (Michaela Morris) go along with the project.

The villain of the piece, the regional director, Carla Pepperbloom (Jude Dicken), is jealous of Adam’s love for Jacie and tries to confound their plans, but Adam’s ancient uncle (Brian Matthews) who owns the company, comes to the rescue, communicating through his assistant Marmion (Robert Clayton).

Expect some highly entertaining cameo performances by the rest of the cast (Graham Roberts, Catie Angus, James Holmes, Jon Quillen, Sharon Roberts and Matthew Warren), both in the studio and in a variety of locations when Jacie and Adam are on the run.

Performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets (£10 for adults, £2 for under 18s) are available at www.ticketsource.co.uk/erinartscentre