Lights Up: Isla (S2EP3 BBC Four Sunday 12 June 2022)

Isla: Soon there will be more voice-activated digital assistants than people. All are female gendered. Roger needs company and he doesn’t want a dog. When his daughter Erin buys him the latest Isla digital assistant, an unexpected relationship between man and technology emerges. But who’s really in control?

This thought-provoking, and at times troubling, dark comedy written by playwright Tim Price has been adapted for television following its world premiere at Theatr Clwyd in North Wales. It was helmed by the theatre’s artistic director Tamara Harvey and stars Mark Lambert as retired teacher Roger, who is struggling with lockdown following the death of his wife.

Lisa Zahra plays his concerned-but-busy daughter who thinks a smart speaker is the perfect home help for her lonely dad, but never imagined it would lead to a visit from the police as well as surprising and sometimes upsetting revelations from his past. Expect laughs, technology-induced frustration and some strong language.

Airdate: Sunday 12 June 2022 at 21:00 on BBC Four

Season 2 Episode 3

A virtual theatre festival staged in lockdown. Household names join groundbreaking new talent – pushing the boundaries of what theatre can be when there is no audience in the room.