April 19, 2026
Cue the bots and the backlash
Eliza a Play by Tom Holloway
This AI stage thriller has fans buzzing—and a few fuming
TLDR: Melbourne Theatre Company debuts Eliza, a psychological thriller about the first therapy-like computer program and its human fallout. Comments split between praise for its timely ethics and gripes about a pre-show land acknowledgement—proof AI anxiety and culture skirmishes now share center stage.
Curtains up, comment section louder. Tom Holloway’s new play Eliza has theatre lovers hyped and the skeptics sharpening their quips. One camp is swooning over an “urgent, unnerving” dive into the birth of artificial intelligence, with abrax3141 praising the show’s focus on the ethical cost of outsourcing our humanity. The other camp? petermcneeley arrives with a side-eye, snarking about a “bizarre land acknowledgement” they say hits you first on the page, sparking a mini-culture-war skirmish right in the ticket line.
Here’s the setup: directed by Paige Rattray and produced by Melbourne Theatre Company, Eliza dramatizes the real story of MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum, whose 1960s “therapy” chatbot ELIZA blurred the line between code and connection. The play leans into that tension—how tech that feels human can change us—and adds a heavy emotional backdrop, from the Holocaust to modern anxieties. Fans call it Chatbot: Origins with a conscience; doubters grumble that the pre-show messaging steals the spotlight.
Even logistics became part of the buzz: audio description, captioned shows, and Auslan (sign language) nights earned nods for accessibility, while the post-show forum promises more fireworks. Memes? Oh, they’re loading: “ChatGPT’s grandma just hit the stage,” joked more than one wag, while others warned, “Do not let this bot be your therapist.” It’s classic opening-night internet—half standing ovation, half eye-roll, and 100% glued to the drama on and off stage.
Key Points
- •Eliza is a new play by Tom Holloway, directed by Paige Rattray, exploring the birth and ethics of artificial intelligence.
- •The plot follows MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum as he tests a talk-therapy-simulating computer program using his secretary’s personal details.
- •Developed through Melbourne Theatre Company’s NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program with support from the Playwrights Giving Circle; produced by MTC and originally commissioned by Sydney Theatre Company.
- •Principal cast includes Dan Spielman as Weizenbaum and Manali Datar as Becky.
- •Accessible and special events include Audio Described (Oct 17, 2pm, with tactile tour), Open/Closed Captioning (Oct 24, 2pm), Auslan Interpreted (Oct 27, 6:30pm), Forum Night (Oct 5), Donor Event (Oct 12), and Melbourne Theatre Thursdays (Oct 1); content warnings apply.