What makes us human? Generally, we have little reason to think about it, but many of the things that define us as human – language, self-awareness and imagination – have to be learned through contact with other humans.
Wild Life was written by Pamela Carter, writer of Slope and An Argument About Sex (untitled productions), and What We Know (Traverse/EK Performance).
Wild Life is inspired by the story of Victor, the so-called ‘wolf boy of Aveyron’ and the subject of François Truffaut’s film L’Enfant Sauvage. The original Victor was a boy about 12 years old found living wild in the south of France in 1800 who was the subject of an experiment to discover what makes humans different to animals, Wild Life re-imagines these events in the 21st century. Daisy and Dave, bored by the options available online and onscreen, decide to create their own entertainment by making their own wild child and civilising him. As they create Victor - his every step streamed live online - they begin to discover that raising a child, even a virtual one, isn't as easy as it seemed. As the experiment develops, they start to discover some uncomfortable truths about their own relationship as they are forced to confront their own prejudices and assumptions. Wild Life questions the nature of humanity and how we come to understand our place in the world.
Designed by international visual artists Sans façon (designers of Magnetic North’s acclaimed Walden) and lit by the award-winning Simon Wilkinson, Wild Life mixed Victorian freak-shows with fly-on-wall documentaries to stunning effect.
| Director | Nicholas Bone |
| Designers | Sans facon |
| Lighting Designer | Simon Wilkinson |
| Sound Designer | Harry Wilson |
| Cast | Lesley Hart and David Ireland |
Wild Life was a co-production with Cumbernauld Theatre
