The Last Self Tape

What happens when performing becomes survival – and the camera never blinks?

This November, actor and writer Ailun(Ellen) Zhou makes her solo debut at The Cockpit with The Last Self Tape, a hauntingly honest look at life as a performer in our chronically online world.

Set in London, this striking new play follows Chloe – a woman who once dreamed of becoming a scientist, but after a series of personal upheavals and family fractures, she stumbled into an acting class promising to “find your true self.” What began as a search for meaning through art soon draws her into isolation, ambition, and the hidden shadows of an industry obsessed with perfection. Alone in her flat with a camera, a script, and the pressure to deliver the perfect take, she begins to record – and to unravel.

Raw, intimate, and deeply relevant, The Last Self Tape peels back the layers of what it means to be seen, to belong, and to start again when the spotlight fades.