The Uncontainable Nausea of Alec Baldwin at New Diorama Theatre

A simultaneously fun and depressing play with something important to say about modern life.

In a world premiere from TG WORKS, the migrant-led, cross-disciplinary experimental theatre company, The Uncontainable Nausea of Alec Baldwin opens at the New Diorama Theatre.

Alec Baldwin (not that Alec Baldwin) has done something he feels guilty for. Very guilty. He stews in his home, isolated, talking to AI and endlessly doomscrolling. He prompts AI to interrogate him, to punish himself and try to understand what he’s feeling and how to feel better.

It’s all a bit strange. A man with a vacuum cleaner, a giant inflatable armchair, a fluffy yellow carpet, and a man in his underwear with a large smile emoji for a head, all come together in this one show. But everything is well-designed and purposeful. It’s not forced or mismatched, but a series of surreal elements that connect seamlessly. It’s really what experimental theatre is meant to be.

And it’s at times brilliantly funny. The vacuum cleaner bit is great comedy, as is the way the emoji man moves. And much of the AI is very humorous, too. These, juxtaposed against Alec’s dark state of mind, make for an incredibly gripping first act.

The show does seem to lose itself a little in the middle before getting back to more engaging and compelling moments.

It’s not a particularly novel take on our digital lives, but that does make the more abstract parts instantly understandable. Alec (played rather well by James Aldred) sinks deeper into depression and anxiety as his only company is social media, AI and replaying past events. He finds himself breaking. It’s a feeling towards modern life that many have experienced, but now get to see it play out on stage in spectacular colour.

The Uncontainable Nausea of Alec Baldwin is thoughtful if not totally enlightening. It brings together a myriad of intriguing ideas to form an enjoyable show. And one that works without the need to be inside the director’s head, making it a great introduction to experimental theatre.