New play showing in Lancaster uses innovative tech to discuss toxic beauty standards

5 Years, which comes to The Dukes on May 4, uses cutting edge hologram technology to turn the spotlight on body dissatisfaction and the devastating effects it can have on our mental health.

The show centres on Yasmin, a woman in her 30s who wants the exciting, glamorous life she has always dreamed of but that her XXL body doesn't fit.

She is about to undertake a radical cosmetic procedure that promises to deliver the perfect body and the contentment that seems just out of reach. But it comes at a cost.

A 2011 survey conducted in the UK found that 30% of women would trade at least one year of their life to achieve their ideal body. 20% would trade five years of their life.

In 5 Years, the possibility of this exchange is a reality. Yasmin will be the first woman to undergo this procedure. As she waits for the doctor to arrive and ‘fix’ her she reveals her experiences and the messages she has received that have brought her to this drastic decision.

Writer and performer Hayley Davis said: “I’m really excited to bring this play to the stage. Although the subject matter is quite serious, it’s a funny, warm, show and uses some really ambitious, innovative tech."

"As someone who has struggled with my own body image, I am very familiar with the damage that we can do to ourselves in the hope of measuring up to an ever shifting ideal of beauty. I think if more of us stopped and thought about it, we’d realise that our time could be better spent on pursuing other things.”