Geek Syndicate Issue 5 | Page 25

Geek Syndicate
GEEK SYNDICATE At The Utopia Preview Screening
Image © Kudos Films, 2012

The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. But when a small group of previously unconnected people – Ian, Becky, Grant and Wilson – find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode. Here’s the official low-down on the show: When five online strangers are drawn together by the legendary manuscript of a cult graphic novel, they find themselves pursued by a secret and deadly organisation known only as The Network. The online comic book forum agree to meet after gaining possession of the original manuscript for the cult graphic novel ‘The

Utopia Experiments’. Unbeknown to them however, a shadowy organisation known as The Network is in pursuit of the manuscript – and they are prepared to kill to track it down. While three of the forum members – Ian (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), an I.T. dropout; Becky (Alexandra Roach), a student; and Wilson (Adeel Akhtar), a conspiracy theorist – meet in the pub, another is confronted and killed by two Network henchmen. The only witness to the murder is 11year-old Grant (Oliver Woollford) – the fifth forum member – and when he flees with the manuscript, the henchmen give chase.

Ian and Becky soon find they’ve been set-up for crimes they haven’t committed, while Wilson’s hacking skills attract the attention of Network henchmen Arby (Neil Maskill) and Lee (Paul Ready). As the trio’s lives begin to fracture, the world of civil servant Michael Dugdale (Paul Higgins) is also torn apart as he is blackmailed by The Network over his affair with a prostitute. Just as things are looking increasingly desperate for Ian, Becky and Wilson, they come face to face with an enigmatic stranger who claims to offer them a way out. Writer: Dennis Kelly; Prod: Rebekah Wray-Roper; Dir: Marc Mun25