SPB25 MC Black Mirror Theater

This activity offers students an engaging opportunity to experience English-language theatre while reflecting on the impact of technology and social media in modern society. The play Black Mirror is performed in English in the school gym by a company of professional Irish actors. Through a series of futuristic and thought-provoking stories, the performance explores themes such as technology, digital identity, and the influence of social media, encouraging students to think about how technological dependence affects human behaviour and relationships. After the show, students take part in a short discussion with the actors, practising their English-speaking skills and sharing their reflections on the messages presented. All students of the same level, as well as the Erasmus group, were invited to attend this theatrical event. The actors structured the play around several scenes, each illustrating situations familiar to young people: a young woman obsessed with likes and artificial online relationships who becomes controlled by an increasingly costly detox programme that gradually turns her into a robotic version of herself; and a teenage girl who relies on artificial intelligence to succeed at school, making a “pact” that ultimately harms her. She eventually defeats the AI by embracing her own learning mistakes, showing that errors are natural and necessary for growth. Throughout these scenes, the actors actively involved the audience, asking students to come on stage to help characters choose between options, to vote by raising their hands, or to shout out suggestions.

Students enhance their English comprehension and expression while engaging with meaningful contemporary issues.
The activity strengthens both linguistic and critical competences, inspiring reflection on responsible digital citizenship. It combines language learning, culture, and ethics — fully aligned with the Erasmus+ values of awareness, creativity, and personal growth. These contemporary and very important issues in our daily lives with our students were addressed through a speculative narrative (a near-future dystopia), presented with humor and effective staging. The level of English was perfectly accessible to this young audience of learners.