A young father raises a cloned copy of the baby son he gave up for adoption. Thirty-five years later he learns that a number of other clones are walking the streets. What happens when they meet?

Written when fears about cloning human embryos were in the news, A Number speaks to current concerns over the power of AI to create digital copies of anyone, indistinguishable from the humans they replicate.

 

Celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest innovators for the modern stage, Caryl Churchill has explored themes of abuse of power and sexual politics in such notable plays as Cloud 9 and Top Girls. Combining intellectual depth with economy of style, A Number looks at the influences that make each of us uniquely who we are, reflecting on identity, family secrets, and nature versus nurture. It is by turns poignant, witty, and shocking.