Reporting on the Spy Brunch production Safehouse ‘82 for KCRW, journalist Brandon R. Reynolds of Atlas Obscura described immersive as “art that owes everything to other forms of art, but doesn’t feel like any of them.” We think that’s a pretty good place to start.
Our work, and that of the many other immersive artists we admire, draws from a huge variety of sources: traditional theatre; film and television; video games; theme parks; and, of course, the grand adventure of life itself.
True to what Brandon said, chances are good that when you see your first immersive production, you’ll recognize familiar elements from art and entertainment—but in the context of a brand-new experience. You won’t just sit in the audience (or on your couch); you’ll step inside the world of the show and engage with it on a deep and memorable level. Maybe the characters will talk to you, or maybe you’ll just be a fly on the wall as they share stories and secrets. Need some liquid courage to explore and interact? Many shows (like ours!) offer cocktails as part of the experience.
Almost every immersive show can be enjoyed alone, and some shows are designed for a single audience member at a time, but they can be great opportunities to share adventures with friends and loved ones. Your group may be split up, but that just means that you’ll all take away different experiences to relate to each other on your way home. (Indeed, any immersive fan can tell you that the post-show “debrief” is often one of the best parts of the evening. Will you spill the details on all your secret encounters, or keep them to yourself to savor?)
Hungry for more details?
Our Most Memorable Immersive Experiences
Highlights for Nick:
My first show as an audience member was Third Rail’s Then She Fell, an intimate show inspired by Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. In just over 90 minutes I sipped mint tea at a raucous party, laid next to a stranger in the dark while being read a bedtime story, and talked about heartbreak as I brushed Alice’s hair. I was escorted from room to room, never knowing what I would encounter next.
On the opposite end in terms of scale and budget, I’ve experienced two of Secret Cinema’s London-based productions (Moulin Rouge and Casino Royale), in which the company screens a movie and builds elaborate interactive sets meant to recreate the film’s world, populated by live actors. As a big fan of both of those movies, having the chance to live inside them (with a drink in my hand, of course -- absinthe for Moulin Rouge; a Vesper for Casino Royale) was a fever dream come true.
But some of the most memorable immersive experiences I’ve had have also been some of the very smallest: Capital W’s Red Flags, a one-hour blind date in a public setting that goes very wrong; and Scout Expedition Co’s The Nest, a powerfully nostalgic journey through a woman’s old storage unit in which the only actors are heard on vintage cassettes.
Highlights for Katelyn:
The one that still haunts me is A(partment 8), by Annie Lesser’s ABC Project.
***Spoilers*** Where was I? It was muggy, and what the hell was I sitting on? I couldn’t see or hear anything outside of the “voice” inside my head. When the “voice” prompted I removed the blindfold and headphones to find myself completely alone perched on a toilet seat in a small dingy bathroom. Adjusting to the red haze I abruptly locked eyes on the body of a naked woman streaked with blood lying in the bathtub. Horrified I remembered the “voice” had whispered I was not a bad person, but I had done a bad thing. Before I could react, she moved. Rising, she peered into me with a look that held an entire gnarled past shared between passionate lovers. The poetic narrative, while intense in the given relationship and emotional stakes, was so supple I slipped into its reality as my own, overcome by longing and regret for a life I swore I must have shared with her in my dreams. The experience only lasted ten minutes, but I left the apartment in a daze. I was dumbfounded at how such an immediate intimate connection could be fused between two strangers, built on a simple story, me existing as a person, and the work of a powerful empathic performer. I knew then if theatre was capable of creating a feeling like this...I could never go back.
A few more honorable mentions that also haunt me in the best way are Bar of Dreams, Capital W’s Rodchester, 1996, and Scout Expedition Co’s The Nest.
Resources
Here are some of the best resources out there for those looking to learn more about immersive:
No Proscenium (Top immersive news/review site, podcast, & newsletter)
Immersion Nation (Immersive podcast & site, sponsor of Immersion Awards)
Everything Immersive (worldwide Facebook group, by invitation; contact us if you’d like to join)