The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes, from Ibsen Award-winning Back to Back Theatre, heads to the Canberra Theatre Centre

Well, what would you do? How would you feel? And would it matter?

That's the questions that the actor is really asking in the preview clip for The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes.

And while Chan has moved on from Back to Back Theatre's latest production - which is the first to make its way to Canberra - the questions still stand.

Set in a world, potentially not too far in the future, where artificial intelligence dominates humankind, the production weaves together a narrative looking at human rights and sexual politics.

But while The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes is a play set during a public meeting - the type that could only happen if democracy had to factor in artificial intelligence - it's a script that was inspired by mistakes, misreadings and misunderstandings that reminds us that no one is self-sufficient.

Back to Back Theatre itself is a company that creates new forms of contemporary performance imagined from the minds and experiences of a unique ensemble of actors living with a disability, giving voice to various social and political issues that are widely relatable.

And as part of the creation of the performance, the actors are not just the ones who bring the script to life, but they are also the co-authors of the piece. It's an unusual sight to see all of the actors listed as the authors of the show in the production credits.

But for actors such as Simon Laherty - who plays the Geelong mayor, also named Simon - it's just another day at the office, so to speak.

"When I first came into it, I just thought it was a new challenge, a new character, let's see how it goes," he says.

"It was Bruce [Galdwin, the director] who came up with the idea first, and then after we had some conversations about it, he made it into a script."

And the questions that first sparked that conversation? Do you identify as being disabled? And how do you want to be represented?

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"I think it literally came from a question from a presenter that we work with. It was a marketing question," executive producer Tim Stitz says.

"So the act of asking the ensemble how do they want to be represented or how do they perceive themselves, is the kernel of one of the ideas or the main strands in the work.

"I think what's unique about The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes is it probably addresses this idea of representation more explicitly than other works we've done have, in terms of recent works.

"It addresses so many other things - it addresses wider concerns of human rights, and politics of the body. And the question of this viewpoint: in the eyes of artificial intelligence, will we all be disabled? And what is disabled? It's a problematic term."

The things about questions in theatre productions, however, is that usually you want them to be answered by the time the curtains close. And the thing is, how can you answer that question when there isn't a clear answer?

It's the type of production that will stay with you, and eventually become a conversation starter - whether that be in the car on the ride home or in the days that follow.

"It's pretty ambiguous. I think this is the thing about Back to Back shows, in my experience they often elicit more questions than answers," Stitz says.

"And that's good in terms of theatre holding a mirror up to society and asking questions of what it is to be human at this point in history.

"There are no easy answers."

It's part of the reason why The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes has gained so much attention.

As well as captivating audiences in Australia, its North American premiere in 2019 was met with rave reviews, and the same is expected when the production embarks on its European tour later this year.

The theatre production has also been transformed into a 56-minute film titled Shadow, which won the SXSW [South by Southwest Film Festival] 2022 Audience Award in March.

Meanwhile, earlier this year Back to Back Theatre itself took out the Ibsen Award, which many dub the Nobel Prize of theatre. The biennial award, which is given by the Norwegian Government, honours artists who have broadened the world of theatre and comes with a $300,000 cash prize. The Geelong-based theatre company is the first Australian company to have been awarded the Ibsen.

"It's been amazing to sort of feel the impact of that award," Stitz says.

"We were just really quite stunned and bowled over by the honour of that award.

"Because Henry Gibson was an amazing playwright who, at the time when he was writing, was really trying to hold that mirror very acutely up to society to critique it, to provoke responses in audiences, to challenge the status quo. And there's some similarities in terms of the work we create."

The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes is at the Canberra Theatre Centre from May 11 to 13 at 8pm. Tickets are $60 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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