Fast Forward - Lavinia Roberts

For those who have been subject to “live chat” or robotic customer service, a short futuristic piece, “Fast Forward” peers into the awaiting customer service representatives in a fast-paced show for the 2021 Kansas City Fringe Festival.

Who among us has not tried to “live chat” with a robotic who cannot provide the needed assistance?  Who has been subject to an hour-long discussion with someone with a funny accent that cannot understand your concern?  Who has tried to deal with horrible service with telephone and/or cable TV/Internet serviced?  The list of agonizing companies and types of companies grows with each passing year.

“Fast Forward” presents several five to eight minute pieces, exemplifying the future of such telecommunications.  Even though the video depicts the future, evidence suggests we are already there–in some cases.

The snippets in the video move quickly and the actors fire off their lines as if they are under a time constraint.  Perhaps that’s part of the futuristic nature of “Fast Forward.”

The show brings to mind judging high school forensic pieces where actors present memorized stories, poems, speeches with time constraints.  “Fast Forward” pokes fun of the absurdity of “customer service” and phone banks in the not so distant future.

“Fast Forward” in the 2021 Kansas City Fringe Festival offers some laughs amid the frustration of dealing with tele-help lines.