There is something particularly intriguing about watching a machine appear to understand us. Long before artificial intelligence became part of everyday conversation, Tom Holloway’s ELIZA takes us back to an early encounter between humans and technology, exploring questions of language, communication and the human desire to be understood.
Directed with a guiding hand by Paige Rattray, Melbourne Theatre Company’s production brings together Dan Spielman as Joseph Weizenbaum, Manali Datar as Becky and Hamish Michael as Ronald (and Others).
Rather than presenting a dry account of technological history, Holloway uses the development of ELIZA as a springboard into a more intriguing exploration of communication, perception and our willingness to find humanity in a machine.
At the heart of the play is the deceptively simple idea that if something responds convincingly enough, we may begin to believe that it understands us. Holloway is less interested in explaining how the technology works than in exploring what it reveals about those who interact with it. The result is a play that feels particularly relevant without being weighed down by contemporary references to AI.
There is an elegant irony in the name ELIZA itself. The program takes its name from Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, whose transformation is achieved through language. Holloway’s play turns that proposition on its head.
Here, it is the machine that appears to acquire the ability to communicate, while the humans around it begin to project meaning, emotion and intelligence onto its responses. The distinction between understanding and the appearance of understanding becomes increasingly blurred.
Spielman gives Weizenbaum a thoughtful, restrained presence, allowing the character’s fascination and unease to emerge without overplaying either. Datar brings warmth and immediacy to Becky, while Michael provides an energetic counterpoint in his various roles. Together, the cast keeps the play grounded in human relationships rather than allowing its technological themes to dominate.
Rattray’s production is impressively realised visually. Dale Ferguson’s impressive set, with rows of uniformly placed archive boxes occupying the stage, creates an ordered and somewhat austere environment that complements the play’s preoccupation with information and systems. Matilda Woodroofe’s costumes immediately establish the period, while Paul Jackson’s stark, clinical lighting reinforces the production’s technological atmosphere.
The sound and visual elements are equally important. Kelly Ryall’s sound design adds another layer to the increasingly immersive environment, while Rhian Hinkley’s AV design occasionally breaks the fourth wall in striking fashion. One of the production’s most memorable images comes when a murmuration of starlings sweeps across the auditorium, briefly transforming the audience space and creating a beautiful counterpoint to the play’s technological world.
There are moments when the rapid-fire dialogue becomes difficult to catch, particularly when ideas and responses arrive in quick succession. Yet the writing remains accessible, balancing its philosophical questions with enough humour and human observation to prevent the production from becoming overly cerebral.
What makes ELIZA particularly effective is that it does not attempt to provide easy answers about artificial intelligence. Instead, it asks a more fundamental question about ourselves: why are we so ready to believe that something understands us?
Holloway leaves that question hanging in the air, and it is perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the play. Technology may have advanced considerably since ELIZA first appeared, but our desire to communicate, to be heard and to find connection remains much the same.
ELIZA
Southbank Theatre, The Sumner, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Performance: Friday 2 October 2026
Season continues to 31 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.mtc.com.au
Images: Dan Spielman – photo by Pia Johnson | Dan Spielman and Manali Datar – photo By Pia Johnson | Dan Spielman, Hamish Micheal and Manali Datar – photo By Pia Johnson
Review: Rohan Shearn