Connected the Musical - Edinburgh Fringe

First impressions are EVERYTHING (literally)

Waiting for the show in Pleasance Courtyard

I've never been to Edinburgh Fringe before, and with the amount of shows and acts on filling up a yellow pages sized booklet, it wasn't surprising that I was a bit overwhelmed and lost for what to choose to see first. I have a thing for musicals (I might have mentioned that a bit earlier when I reviewed Avenue Q) so, without too much of a second thought, I quickly flipped to the correct page. There were loads of musicals that caught my eye, but what really interested me was this one: Connected the Musical. From glancing over the blurb, I gathered it was a modern musical performed by an Australian group that focused on cyber bullying in a high school setting.

Well, despite being a immature adult now, I still feel emotionally attached to my teenage years. So, Connected it was.

And I have to say, I was deeply impressed. There were only four actors, all looking quite a few years younger than me (which simultaneously made me feel very untalented). The singing was incredible, and the acting was equally as brilliant, but what really topped it off for me was, quite honestly, the story itself. Without being overly complicated, the play presented the reality of the dangers that anyone, even the most innocent of all users, can face while surfing the internet. Once you upload something it can travel through cyberspace faster than the speed of light. Heard of the phrase "gone viral"? That's what happened here. And lies can quickly become the truth. Needless to say, it really does affect your image and what other people will think of you. The culprits may eventually get caught, but the damage they caused is irremovable, and the scars they leave are everlasting.

Moral of the story

Although the plot was based on online gossip within high school, I think its message can definitely apply outside of this context. There's no other way of phrasing it than using the old fashioned way:

Think twice before you speak - be cautious on the web when you're "Connected".