Acclaimed immersive theatre producers, DARKFIELD, have announced a three-day extension to their residency at Shoreditch Town Hall’s basement, The Ditch. The shows, which have been met with overwhelming demand, will now run until Thursday, 17 April.
For the first time, DARKFIELD is presenting one of their experiences outside their trademark shipping container. ARCADE has been transposed into the untouched basement of the iconic Grade II listed Shoreditch Town Hall. Audiences can also experience three DARKFIELD RADIO projects: DOUBLE, VISITORS, and ETERNAL, and enjoy a drink at a purpose-built bar in The Ditch.
Tickets for ARCADE, DOUBLE, VISITORS, and ETERNAL are available to book now on the Shoreditch Town Hall website, including for the three extra dates. Even for those without a ticket, the bar in The Ditch is open to everyone from 5pm each weekday, and from 12pm on Saturdays, until 10.30pm.
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, audiences choose their own path through the story whilst experiencing DARKFIELD’s signature 360-degree binaural sound and sensory effects for a fully immersive experience. ARCADE premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 to acclaim before a sell-out run at BFI London Film Festival.
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 ask themselves difficult questions, as they navigate a world where some will win and others will lose. No two journeys through the experience will be the same.
In surrounding rooms, all three DARKFIELD RADIO: Season One projects: DOUBLE, VISITORS, and ETERNAL – born during the pandemic – have become physical installations for the first time.
DOUBLE (★★★★ – The Guardian) is a troubling exercise in familiarity for people sitting opposite each other on either side of a kitchen table, exploring the Capgras delusion, an uncommon condition in which the sufferer is convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an exact replica with malign intentions.
VISITORS (★★★★ – The Stage) is a reflection on our irrepressible desire to touch and explores why the dead find so little comfort in the world of the living. This is an experience for only two audience members at a time: to be booked into as a pair.
Experienced lying down in a bed, ETERNAL (★★★★ – The Reviews Hub) explores the quandary of eternal life and wonders what price you would pay to achieve it.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
