A funny and foreboding play about what happens when gaming and military technology collide.
Seventeen-year-old student Adrian has a serious habit – playing military shooters on his computer games console. Single mum Maggie wants him to study Classics at uni and stop locking himself in his room pwning* n00bs**.
With the help of computer geek Tom, Maggie deciphers gaming lingo in an attempt to reconnect with Adrian. But when a revolutionary new technology Tom has invented gets picked up by the Ministry of Defence, their lives are
rocketed from the virtual to the actual battlefield.
Paul Jenkins’ play First Person Shooter was first staged at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2010.
*Pwn – (verb) to kill, to annihilate, or to totally dominate your opponent
**n00b – (noun) a novice or somebody unskilled at a particular game
‘A substantial, ambitious play of ideas…a play for today that’s also a rare theatrical treat for game-heads. Bullseye!’
— Telegraph
‘The play has emotional heart and entertainment value. First Person Shooter is smart and driven – if this is grim reality, let’s have more.’
— Birmingham Post
