The Screen is Always Greener

Coming in hot off their premiere at the Paris Opera Ballet, rising creative duo Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple (aka Jess & Morgs) present “Deepfake.” Unlike their previous successes, this is an independently made piece, breaking from their string of commissions from various ballet companies in Europe. The story, which showcases their typical blend of live film and dance, is one of scandal, intrigue, and bestial pleasure.

Performance

“Deepfake” by Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple

Place

Sadler's Wells East, London, UK, October 2, 2026

Words

Eoin Fenton

“Deepfake” by Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple. Photograph by Foteini Christofilopoulou

“Deepfake,” told through dance but mostly through pre-recorded narration, looks at a political scandal rocking the UK. The Prime Minister (Kennedy Muntanga) is believed to have gotten absolutely hammered at a royal dinner and was recorded seemingly in flagrante with a taxidermied stag’s head. On his case is a visiting BBC journalist (Rebecca Bassett-Graham) who is not quite convinced by the PM’s claims that the video is an AI deepfake. What follows takes leaves from Black Mirror and the former Prince Andrew’s disastrous televised interview in a madcap caper where we try to get to the truth of the matter.

One of the strongest aspects of the work, or rather two strong aspects, is the relationship between Bassett-Graham and Muntanga. Perpetually caught in a game of cat and mouse between each others’ real and digital selves, their sections are cleverly assembled, retorts and quips in the choreographic form. Muntanga has a fallible softness, a false confidence in his political gestures—there’s plenty of hand-waving. Bassett-Graham on the other hand is more angular and astute, she moves with an accurate sharpness though it is never sterile or surgical, just assertive. She knows what she’s doing and she’s not afraid to do it. The dancing throughout the work is quite strong in fact, full of kinetic treats.

Kennedy Muntanga in “Deepfake” by Jess & Morgs. Photograph by Foteini Christofilopoulou

But “Deepfake” isn’t just about the moves, there’s a lot of deeper questions in there too. In one of their back and forths Bassett-Graham insists in this interview (which is increasingly going wrong) that this debate “isn’t about me or you, it's about the truth.” The question of what is true and false is an interesting one in this work, particularly in a time rocked by technology that can be so convincingly true. There is also the idea of the chasm between the digital and actual self, what we project to the world and who we actually are. A prime minister cannot possibly allow themselves to be seen as a buffoon . . . right? What is a slight let-down in these more philosophical segments, solos danced to a reverberated word or phrase repeated over and over again, is that it feels like we’ve seen it before. For those who are familiar with the repertoire of Crystal Pite it feels especially recognisable.

Rebecca Bassett-Graham in “Deepfake” by Jess & Morgs. Photograph by Foteini Christofilopoulou

There are other issues as well. The saying to never work with children or animals should perhaps be widened to include live technology. There are always technical risks and no disasters occurred thankfully. However, some sound-lagging and an odd transparency of the actors in front of the green screen takes you out of the action a fair bit. This is also, perhaps, a testament to the unashamed ambition from Jess & Morgs who want not just to marry film and dance, but intertwine them. What we have here goes way beyond the confines of Jamie Lloyd or Katie Mitchell in its use of projection, live and real dance, and an almost split-screen effect in their use of simultaneous action.

It takes a lot of guts to commit like that, but what really lets the show down is simply that it pales in comparison to previous works like “Hotel” for Birmingham Royal Ballet and “Coppélia” for Scottish Ballet—the latter of which was like lightning in a bottle. Some scenes feel superfluous or as if they've been stretched to fill out the runtime of the work. This is especially true for one sequence riffing on classical ballet. Overlong and consequently a little unengaging, “Deepfake” doesn’t come in as hot as its predecessors. With a little more time and space in creation and a little less actual run-time—and perhaps reliance on green screens—the work may pack quite the punch.

Eoin Fenton

Eoin (they/he) is a dance maker and writer based between Cork (Rep. of Ireland) and London (UK). They graduated with a BA in Choreography from Middlesex University and are currently undertaking an MFA at Trinity Laban. Eoin has written for the Place, A Young(ish) Perspective, Fjord Review, and dance art journal.

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