DARKFIELD – pioneering producers of innovative, immersive experiences at the forefront of technology and theatre – announce the first previews of their newest experience – ARCADE. Opening at Lakeside Arts, University of Nottingham 12 – 24 March, followed by Gloucester Guildhall, 27 March – 7 April. ARCADE will return in summer 2024.
ARCADE is the latest immersive audio experience from DARKFIELD. Using the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic of 1980’s video games, ARCADE’s interactive narrative explores the evolving relationship between players and avatars. Over 30 minutes, in the darkness of one of DARKFIELD’s trademark shipping containers, audiences will choose their own path through the story whilst experiencing DARKFIELD’s signature 360-degree binaural sound and sensory effects for a fully immersive experience.
Each at their own individual arcade machine, players will guide their avatar through a world ravaged by endless war: you can choose a side, win or lose the war, search for a peaceful route, or join a cult promising a better version of reality. Players will address deep, existential questions about free will and consciousness, as they navigate a world where some will win and others will lose. No two journeys through the experience will be the same.
DARKFIELD said: “We’re very excited to present our most ambitious show to date, ARCADE. It’s been a long time in the making. We really hope our audience enjoys exploring the world they are immersed in, aware that there are many other paths through it they could have chosen.. We’re looking forward to the conversations the audience will be having with each other afterwards, and hopefully seeing them return to discover new paths!”
ARCADE will open at Lakeside Arts, University of Nottingham from 12 to 24 March, and transfer to Gloucester Guildhall from 27 March – 7 April, with further tour dates to be announced later in 2024.
It is the fifth experience created by DARKFIELD to be delivered in complete darkness, inside a custom shipping container, designed to fully immerse audiences from the second they walk through the door. DARKFIELD has travelled the length of the UK and internationally with SEANCE, FLIGHT, COMA and EULOGY.
