Claire Gaydon was inspired by Britney Spears to write about data protection in her new play. The London-based playwright has written and stars in 'Piece of Me' - which is named after the pop megastar's 2007 hit about the pitfalls of being famous - at the Camden People's Theatre in London and explained that the whole idea came about after discovering just how personal data is handled in the modern world. She told BANG Showbiz: "Back in 2019 I learnt that according to data protection law, if you request footage of yourself from the owner of any CCTV camera they have to give it to you.
I decided to do an experiment where I walked around London, miming the lyrics to Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. Britney’s song 'Radar', and then requested the footage so I could make a kinda arty music video. I chose 'Radar' because the lyrics are about watching someone (and it's also an underrated banger!).
"Less than 50% of the camera owners I approached for the footage adhered to data protection law and that got me thinking and researching about how our data is handled, and privacy in general. " In the play, Claire plays a version of herself in scenes with her school friends as they form a pop band in an attempt to emulate their idol but has recently developed a "newfound appreciation" for her anonymity as she explored her own concerns regarding the rise of facial recognition in society. She said: "Watching the video back, I also started .
