Authentic, a production by Poland's JK Opole Theatre, will be staged at Theatre Young from Nov 5 to 7 as part of the 2026 Autumn IS International Theatre Festival.

Set in an enclosed, laboratory-like space, the performance brings together two actors playing scientists and two performers portraying apes, alongside a robot dog.

Through detailed body movements and spontaneous reactions, the performers playing the apes create lifelike portrayals. Meanwhile, the robotic dog mimics animal behavior, prompting questions about how people distinguish living creatures from machines.

Rather than offering a definitive answer to what is real, the production invites audiences to reflect on how appearances, behavior, and social expectations shape their perceptions of identity.

If you go

When: Nov 5–6, 7:30 pm; Nov 7, 2 pm

Where: Theatre Young

Duration: About 60 minutes with no intermission

Language: Polish with Chinese and English subtitles

Ticket prices: From 180 to 580 yuan ($26.89–$86.64)

Source: WeChat account of Theatre Young