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Guilty or not? That’s the decision you’ll have to make if you sign up for jury duty this winter, as The Jury Experience comes to Cape Town for the very first time.
The Jury Experience – Death by AI: Who Pays the Price? opens at the Star Theatre in District Six on 14 August and 18 September 2026.
It’s a new experience for Cape Town, one that places the audience at the centre of a fictional trial over a fatal accident caused by a driverless car. The question at the heart of the show is one that’s oh-so-2026: when artificial intelligence is involved in a death, who is ultimately responsible? The manufacturer? The programmer? The passenger? The machine? Or nobody at all?
Unlike a conventional theatre production, The Jury Experience is a night at the theatre where you are expected to get involved.
“What makes The Jury Experience so unique is that the audience is no longer simply watching the story unfold, they become responsible for its outcome,” says Isabella Szpigiel, Head of the Experience at Fever, an events platform for discovering culture and live entertainment. “Every participant steps into the role of a juror, weighing evidence, testimonies, and ultimately deciding another person’s fate.”
Through the 65-minute live theatre experience, you’ll also vote at key moments and help determine the outcome of the case, with audience participation using voting paddles.
That audience-led format also means each performance can shift according to who is in the room.
“Because the audience votes throughout the performance, no two shows are ever exactly the same,” adds Szpigiel. “The experience combines live theatre, immersive storytelling, and real-time interaction in a way that feels both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
The Jury Experience has appeared in dozens of cities worldwide and is soon to be in session in Cape Town, with a particularly timely case to be tried.
Death by AI: Who Pays the Price? centres on autonomous vehicle technology and the legal grey areas that arise when machine logic collides with human consequences. It’s a legal and ethical storm that challenges jurors to decide how justice should be administered in the age of AI.
“Cape Town is one of the most dynamic cultural and entertainment hubs in the world, with audiences that are deeply engaged in immersive experiences, live storytelling, and thought-provoking events,” says Szpigiel. “It felt like a natural fit for The Jury Experience. What makes the city especially exciting for us is the diversity and curiosity of its audiences. Our experience is designed to spark debate, conversation, and reflection, and Cape Town has a strong culture of dialogue and engagement that aligns perfectly with the spirit of the show.”
While this first Cape Town case puts AI in the dock, the wider Jury Experience concept can extend across a range of courtroom scenarios, from technology-led dilemmas to robberies and murders, with the kind of twists usually found in true-crime series.
Answer the summons and have your say!
All you need to know for The Jury Experience, Cape Town
Where: Star Theatre, Caledon Street, District Six
When: 14 August and 18 September, 2026
Tickets: From R490 at feverup.com
Age restriction: 12+. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult
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