My Introduction to Immersive

My journey towards immersive started in my second year of university when I was introduced to immersive by two of the tutors in my drama specialist module.
During one of our first sessions, we were blindfolded and proceeded to experiment with our senses. The group was gradually introduced to different tastes and smells. It was captivating to see how individuals reacted differently to the same odors and sensations and how unique memories work to trigger feelings for one person that can be entirely different for another. For example, the simple act of tasting a squash drink reminded some people of school sports days, whereas, for others, it brought back memories of going to friends' houses after school. The smell of chlorine reminded some of fun visits to the swimming baths, with others having more negative recollections of hospitals. One of the scents I remember from in the session, in particular, was that of grass, where I 

immediately recalled rolling down hills and getting grass stains on my clothes.

I was immediately fascinated by immersive, and how the traditional relationship between the performer and the audience changes. Immersive theatre's drive is to enhance the experience of the audience to the point where they're coaxed out of their comfort zone. It pushes through the boundaries of 'traditional' theatre. 

In the weeks following being introduced to the theatre form, we were asked to create an immersive performance. My group and I decided to create a production set in an abandoned orphanage, and we called it 'The Stanhope Street Orphanage.' The premise of the performance was the tale of an 'orphanage' being used by a private military organization  to lure children in off the street under false pretenses and experiment on them, in search of a combat enhancing drug. However, one of the patients (subject 6) who was being experimented on started going insane and showed signs of the serum taking effect. Once she realized her strength, she broke out, injuring staff and destroying the facility in the process, leaving everyone with no choice but to abandon the orphanage.

We aimed to make the piece feel as thrilling and intense as possible for the audience, so we decided to have only one audience member at a time playing the role of the 'Investigator' sent in to gather evidence. The 'Investigator' was contracted by one of the former doctors to enter the abandoned building and acquire everything that could be traced back to them.  The 'Investigator' is also charged with retrieving the formula for the enhancing drug. We wanted to be able to communicate and give direction to the participant, so tested out a few different ways of doing this e.g. pre-recording, but came to a final decision that using walkie-talkies along with a go pro(camera) attached to the audience member would be more practical so we could see what they are seeing.

On the day of the performance, the participant was blindfolded and 

driven by car to the location. During the journey, they were read out a contract detailing the terms of working as an Investigator for the contractors. We used four rooms in the house, on the first floor we had the office and the flashback/testing room. On the second floor was the subject room and security room. The only room that had live performance was the flashback/testing room where an experiment was taking place and a staff member was showing resistance. This staff member is later seen in a video recording in the security room asking anyone watching to help; this is where the 'investigator' must make a moral decision. In the video, the staff member holds up a sign containing a phone number to call in order to get help, the Investigator must decide whether they call the mysterious number on screen or report back to the Contractor instead. 

The process was very time consuming, and although I feel like we managed to do the best we could with what we had, there where many things that could have been improved. As a group, we did discuss expanding upon this piece in our final year; however, unfortunately, when the time came, we were all caught up in other productions. This piece is something I would love to go back to as I feel I have a lot more knowledge and understanding of immersive. 

First Immersive Performances Watched 

After my initial introduction to immersive, I knew I wanted to expand my knowledge on the subject and sought out immersive productions to experience first-hand. The first two performances that I saw were The Great Gatsby and a Christmas Carol. Both of these productions were produced by Hartshorn Hook and are performed in the Immersive LDN building. Hartshorn Hook teamed up with Flavourology for both these productions to create dining experiences.

The Great Gatsby
When booking tickets for 'The Great Gatsby,' you have the option to either attend one of Jay Gatsby's infamous parties or choose to arrive earlier to attend a three-course dinner hosted by F Scott Fitzgerald. I decided to go for the full dining and party experience. When you arrive at the venue, you are welcomed by a member of staff, dressed in full 1920s attire, who ticks your names off the guest list. Loquacious flappers then escort you into Fitzgerald's office and show you to your table where you are served Flavourology's period-specific three-course meal. The meal included an amuse-bouche of smoked salmon ('From St Louis to West Egg'), a main of Gatsby's OJ glazed ham ('Baked Ham & Waldorf'), and spotted dick with custard parfait and salted caramel sauce for dessert ('Gatsby was an Oxford Man').
Throughout both parts of this production, the audience's role is that of guests at one of Jay Gatsby's parties. The audience is encouraged to dress in 1920's attire, and the majority of the crowd did. The performance introduces all main characters and the relationships between them, culminating in Myrtle's tragic death and the subsequent murder of Gatsby, all while fully immersing the audience into the glamor of the Roaring '20s. When you first walk into the 'party hall' it is quite overwhelming, I was surprised at the size of the venue and the number of people who attended the 'party' section of the performance. 

As there was only one bar in the venue, it became very crowded, especially as they would shut it during the performance. However, once everyone had a drink in their hands, and the production started, the atmosphere in the room shifted. 

The show begins at a high with Gatsby welcoming everyone, and with the cast in character, of course, interacting with the 'guests.' After a few introductions to characters, Jordan Baker (played by Jessica Hern) gets the party full in swing by teaching every on the Charleston. Although partaking in the dancing is entirely optional, almost everyone got up and had a go, my self included. As the performance goes on, different characters, take small groups off to perform various scenes in more intimate rooms. The set in each room is so unique and specifically stylized for the scene is being shown. As the play goes on, the atmosphere is continually changing with each narrative point. Although most of the performance is held in the 'Main hall,' they manage to completely control the room when the tone shifts to the more tragic moments. 

I went to see this production twice as the first time I went; I didn't manage to make it into any of the smaller rooms. I feel this is, in some ways, an irritant for the audience yet a bonus for the production. Individual audience members may not have the opportunity or ability to see this piece twice. Still, for the production, it means you do have people coming over and over again to see the parts they may have missed. The second time I went, I enjoyed myself more as I was able it make it into every room, dragging my boyfriend from one corner of the venue to another. The majority of the cast remembered me and would speak to me in character about the first time we met. It was interesting to see changes that had been made and the subtle differences in pacing and staging. 

I was lucky enough to be able to talk to some of the cast after both performances to get first-hand knowledge of how it is continuously being tweaked after every performance. One could say that with each different group of audience members, a new problem or solution arises. It was great to hear about the work that they do in rehearsals, both negative and positive e.g., how the dance training is enjoyable but also very physically challenging on the body. I would recommend this production to anyone from those just looking for a fun night in London to those who have a greater interest in theatre or particular immersive. 

A Christmas Carol

The production is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' celebrated novel 'A Christmas carol.' In this performance, the audience is present in Ebenezer Scrooge's house when the ghost of Jacob Marley visits him; Marley is burden by heavy chains in the afterlife due to a lifetime of greed. We, as audience members, are given the role of 'spirits' sent to help Marley convince Scrooge that he needs to change his ways or otherwise be damned in the same way as Marley. Unlike in Dickens's novel, Marley is the one who steers Scrooge through his past, present, and future with the help of an unsuspecting audience member picked to play the role of Tiny Tim. 

Once we witness Scrooge visiting his former self at a party, it is time for our dinner party to start. We all help turn Scrooge's bed into a dining table and push forward the benches we had been sitting on. Front of house staff then help bring in all the cutlery and Christmas crackers; once we had all taken our places at the makeshift table Christmas dinner was served. Everyone's spirits were high; even though we were sat next to utter strangers, we were all laughing, pulling crackers, and singing Christmas carols. This section of the performance was more interactive and improvised on the side of the actors. Both Ebenezer Scrooge (Alexander Barclay), and Jacob Marley (Jack Whitam), did their best to talk to the audience members in a more personal way during this time, staying in character, of course. They would later use some of the information they had learned about the audience in comedic bits, allowing the performance to be genuinely personal and unique. After games and more singing, the show resumed by intensely detailing Scrooge's bleak future. The change in tone was masterfully done; in mere moments, the audience's laughter turned to pure captivation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this performance, and I believe the intimacy of this piece is truly what makes it. Limiting the audience number to 25-30 allows for the actors to keep it more personal, unlike Gatsby, where even though the actors try to communicate with every audience member, it is less likely to happen. I also feel like the location was very well suited to the atmosphere of the play. This is the kind of show you could make into a Christmas tradition.

I find both of these productions very inspirational; they have both expanded my knowledge of immersive theatre and also my passion and love of this genre. I hope to attend more productions in the near future and plan to keep writing about the new innovative pieces in the immersive world.