An extraordinary play written almost 100 years ago, R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots), otherwise known as The Robot Play, written by the Czech playwright Karel Čapek ,had its premier in Prague in 1921. It deals with artificial intelligence, robots being used in factories, the possibility of humans being replaced by robots.  All themes in the media every day.  It is also full of wit and humour, thought-provoking and very entertaining. It could have been written yesterday. It is the play that introduced the word ‘robot’ to the English language, and all other languages.  It is a play for our times.

In a new English translation by David Wyllie published by Adelaide University in 2014.