The Ga Ga girls and the boys from the Clone Zone

I was revisiting choreography  to Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga” tonight in preparation to take a musical theatre workshop with a  group of year 11’s and as I prepared it made me reflect again on the idea of a virtual world.

When Ben Elton wrote the musical “We Will Rock You” with Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May in 2002 (over 8 years ago) critics universally panned it as a “juke box” musical with a totally ****story.

The story (such as it is) takes place in a dystopian future where originality and individuality are shunned. On “Planet Mall” mainstream commercial conformity reigns in which “Ga Ga Kids” watch the same movies, listen to computer generated music, wear the same clothes and hold the same thoughts and feelings.

The Daily Mirror wrote that “Ben Elton should be shot for this visible story”.

At the time no one was aware that a young Harvard University student would go a long way to creating an on line social world within the next 5 years and  almost 10 years on since its conception, with the advances in technology and Social Networking sites becoming global perhaps Ben Elton wasn’t so visible and are we really that far away from Global Soft  domination and a virtual, cyber life.

Certainly as we now have the ability at our fingertips to Avatar our image, it’s perhaps not so crazy a thought. Ben Elton set his “We Will Rock You” world 300 years into the future.    Hmmmmm??????

“Avartaring” our persona and image to seek the admiration of others is just one further step to de humanisation and cloning and we are in danger of stifling our individuality, originality and diversity – maybe not so far away from Planet Mall after all.

 I’ve not changed my mind though, I’m still whole heartedly a Bohemian and not one of the kids from the Clone Zone.    

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRtI2PvVGj0 

A clip of the song and dance 'Radio GaGa' with the Original London Cast at The Dominion Theatre, London!