In her essay, ‘The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams’, writer Jia Tolentino argues that the art of scamming – the abuse of trust for profit – is a definitive ethos of contemporary times. Scams are so mainstream, so normalised, that their scale and inventiveness are what capture our collective imagination (think Fyre Festival, Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos), with the internet serving as the conduit between us and the next cultural touchstone. TomYumSim Theatre’s (Tom Halls and Sim French) ‘Trainwreck’ is set against this backdrop, drawing inspiration from the virally disappointing ‘Willy's Chocolate Experience’ in Glasgow and zooming in on an important question: What do we really find so mesmerising about having our expectations not met?
Audience members are taken on a deliberately overambitious journey planned by AI travel coordinator Tom (via Paris, Darjeeling, Tokyo, Siberia) and ‘executed’ by humans Sim (Sim French) and Sven (Sven Ironside). The format is part installation, part immersive theatre, part silent disco, taking place over several rooms of the Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation’s Shoestring Theatre. French and Ironside are seasoned performers who sustain a nimble, improvisational quality despite the show's careful construction. Their Aussie charm and commitment to being believably flustered drive the show – like a good improv troupe, they understand that the magic is in the mess. ‘Trainwreck’ especially shines in transition moments: French and Ironside pantomime guiding the audience on a short neighbourhood walk, scamper around the room to retrieve props, deliver quick-witted quips as they urge audience members through activities and grimace comedically as they deal with AI-generated travel slop.
AI features throughout the show, both thematically and literally, from the travel AI character to an AI-generated karaoke spoof to AI-generated images of the audience members themselves. The focus is clever. It’s a nod to the AI-generated marketing which was the downfall of ‘Willy’s Chocolate Experience,’ as well as a more serious reflection of our willingness to give up private data for the promise of entertainment. We may laugh at the gullibility of the Chocolate Experience attendees and at our own (uncanny) likenesses projected in the final scene; however, while scams iterate only in their specifics, AI is rapidly improving and becoming harder to distinguish.
Though lighthearted in tone, ‘Trainwreck’ asks audiences to consider how far we go in pursuit of ‘immersive’ personal experiences, and what their hidden costs may be. The show offers a shrewd answer to why we find unmet expectations so enthralling: proof that something real exists in the failure.
'Trainwreck' celebrates the gloriously human art of falling short.
‘Trainwreck’ was reviewed on 29 October 2025 at Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation in association with the Croydonites Festival, and runs through 1 November 2025. Tickets are available here.
Review: ELT