Ladies, gentlemen, apples and androids, we present...

THE BIG DATA SHOW

Written by Clare Duffy and Rupert Goodwins

Performed by Veronica Leer and Stuart Ryan

Digital Artist: Kyle McAslan

Directed by Clare Duffy

SWIPE Game

Design: Simon Messer

Art work: Abbie Smeaton

Programmer: Dean Sinclair

Ethical Hacker: Nikola Cucakovic

Lynn Parker. Computer Arts Programme Leader. Abertay University

Dr Nataile Coulle. Lecturer in Cyber Security. Abertay University

Video

Ruth Barrie & Glenda Rome

Waltzer Films

The Big Data Show is produced by Civic Digits

with Perth Theatre

Supported by

Creative Scotland

The Tom McGrath Maverick Award

Imaginate

Playwrights’ Studio Scotland

Dundee Repertory Theatre

With thanks to Prof. Jon Rodgers

A little bit of online naughtiness

As well as dealing with modern-day privacy and cyber security matters, The Big Data Show tells the story of the first headline hacking attack in the UK. This is known variously as the Great Prestel Hack or the Prince Philip Hack: those of you who come to the show will get to meet HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, as well as his impersonator, H. R. Hacker. (Or at least one of them...)

But all stories have beginnings before they begin: it's been one long chain of cause and effect ever since the Big Bang. Here's one part that isn't in the show but that's close to my heart. 

Warning - this post almost contains a rude word. If your normal bedtime is before 9pm, best not read any more. 

The exciting world of Prestel - the dawn of online, as only BT could make it

 Part of the Great Prestel/Prince Philip hack story started when me and my mate Keith (who is in the show, and I'm delighted you're going to meet him) got access to an area of Prestel called Scratchpad (on page *651#) which gave limited editing access for those developing hardware and software. 

Keith was writing a Prestel editor for the ZX Spectrum/VTX5000, and that was good enough for BT. However, the pages we created on Scratchpad were viewable by everyone with Prestel access and we immediately realised that we had been given access to a national online publishing platform, with no grown-up oversight. 

ZX Spectrum with VTX5000 modem. Looks innocent enough, right? 

I created a site called Micromouse and Keith and I started to do little hardware and software reviews (Hard Cheese and Soft Cheese - we were into our puns and mouse references) - and, later, Keith decided to stop writing stuff for it and fellow hacker Steve Gold got on board.

This rather discomfortited BT, which didn't intend for Scratchpad to be used for actual content, but it decided to let us be - after all, it wasn't as if Prestel was writhing with fun stuff, Micromouse began to get a bit of a fan base and it turned into what would now be called a blog. Squeeky Da Mouse, the eponymouse critter who ostensibly wrote all of Micromouse, was well under way. 

"Make someone happy - give them a phone call" said BT. I did, but it didn't.

However, one day I came across a page on Prestel that had a big colourful animated viewdata rendition of BT's spirit animal, a large yellow cartoon bird called Buzby, who was voiced by Bernard Cribbins in TV adverts. You probably remember it... Gleefully, I downloaded the page, edited it and uploaded it to Micromouse - which gained a happy full-screen image of Buzby waving his wing happily while perched on a telephone wire, and labelled 'Join The Buck Fuzby Fan Club'.

Strangely, this proved too much for British Telecommunications plc, who somehow saw this as an affront to its corporate dignity. After a day or so - a mere nanosecond in telecom bueaurocracy - we got thrown off and Squeeky da Mouse was out of his house. No more Micromouse. Curtains. 

Behind this unassuming screen lurked anarchy and madness. Now that's more like it.

Or was it? Enter David Babsky, editor for Micronet 800, Prestel and EMAP's home computer news and reviews online publication. Babsky had been watching Micromouse and thoroughlt approved, and he loved making mischief, so he got in touch. Would we like to host Micromouse on his site? Moreover, in honour of our history and to really rub BTs nose in it, he'd put it on *800651#

Of course we would. And so we got our first official beachhead into the Prestel system, and learned many good things that would later be put to even better use...

No idea who made this badge, but I'm glad they did. 

And today, I found that someone, somehwere, made this badge - which I'd certainly wear with pride. I did subsequently meet a travel agent who told me that finding the Buck Fuzby page was 'the only time Prestel ever made me laiugh', WHich makes everything worthwhile. 

IOS Swipe app now on Apple's app store!

Hot news update! Our cute little gaming/ in-show app is now up and begging to be downloaded by all you Apple fans - check it out .

This is just the first stage of the app at the moment - it's a fully playable game that's designed to fill in a few minutes when you fancy a diversion, and we think it's stylish, colourful, and jolly neat. If you're coming to the show at the Science Festival in Edinburgh on the 12th April at Summerhall, you really should give it a go beforehand - and feel free to do so even if you're not.

Bear in mind that although it's fully fun, it is a try-out version and we recommend you uninstall it after the show - or, if you're not coming, when you've had your fill. After next week, we're going back to the drawing board with everything we've learned to start preparing the full-on Big Data Show experience for next year, which will be the 48k Sinclair ZX Spectrum of shows compared to the 1k ZX81 of today.  (Kids - ask your parents.)

And what has all this got to do with cybersecurity, privacy, Google, Americans and how hacking changed the world from playground to palace? You'll have to come along to find out...

Come and play-- the Big Data Show try-outs!

We're live. so come along and join the fun

If you're in Edinburgh on the 12th April for the Science Festival - and if not, why not? - then you can and should pay us at visit at Summerhall for the world exclusive premiere try-outs for the Big Data Show. You'll get a lot more out of it if you also download the app we've developed and give it a go beforehand, and for once you're encouraged to leave your phones on, loud and proud. during the performance. 

 Director/writer Clare Duffy and actors Veronica Leer and Stuart Ryan get stuck into scripty fun

The Big Data Show is a mashup of drama, technology, and revelation. It tells the story of the UK's first headline hack - an exploit of BT's Prestel system that started in a teenage bedroom and ended up changing the law. Along the way, it roped in the Duke of Edinburgh, big business and Maggie Thatcher - and a rather curious piece of knitwear. The full theatrical experience will be hitting the stage next year: this is a combo sneak preview, beta test and experiment, so expect a few glimpses behind the scenes. You'll also have a chance to ask questions of the cast, crew. director/writer Clare Duffy - and the play's co-writer, tech journalist Rupert Goodwins, who happened to be one of those young hackers who caused so much trouble. 

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Recreating a BBC TV news interview of one of our hackers - played in shadow (and a significant jumper) by Stuart 

But this tale from the dawn of cybertime is bang up-to-date - and this is where you come in. Hackers and data crime haven't gone away - what;s more, some of the things that aren't even against the law are downright criminal. We've written a fun mobile game that links you in with the show; play along with us, we'll play along with you, and together we'll find out what the story really is. 

Android users can download it now: the Apple version is currently getting the stamp of fruity approval and will be available either over the weekend or early next week. Check back here, or follow our Twitter feed, to get that hot news. 

See you in Edinburgh on the 12th!