The critically acclaimed and innovative DARKFIELD returns to the Edinburgh Fringe this year, bringing the 360-degree immersive sound experience DARKFIELD RADIO: DOUBLE, VISITORS and ETERNAL, running in the Old Lab at Summerhall.
In an uncanny geometric space composed of chairs, tables, and doors, three distinct stories—DOUBLE, VISITORS, and ETERNAL—unfold simultaneously. Visitors are free to choose which story to listen to. DOUBLE offers an intimate, mystical experience exploring the Capgras delusion. VISITORS examines why the dead find so little comfort in the world of the living. ETERNAL is an experience about possession and the cost of seeking eternity, set in a bed.
They give a very detailed introduction to help the audience enter this bizarre dream world safely and easily. Before entering the theatre, staff members explain the warnings, which can also be found in writing. Once the audience puts on their headphones, finds their seats and settles down, the lights are turned off, giving the audience a chance to experience complete darkness and leave if they want to. During this process, the audience gradually loses their sense of time and space, completely submerged in darkness and smoke.
The reviewer chose ETERNAL from DARKFIELD RADIO: DOUBLE, VISITORS and ETERNAL because the setting of lying in bed is truly unique. The story follows the character as they search for the source of strange sounds in the room and interact with their possessed wife. Various joyful, tense, and frightening sounds echo from all directions, ultimately shattering the boundaries between reality and dreams in the audience’s consciousness. As footsteps grow closer, the reviewer opens their eyes in sheer terror, desperate to confirm whether a real actor has suddenly appeared beside them. The sound of a woman whispering and sucking near their ear, as if her tongue were reaching into the viewer’s ear, is both sensual and dangerous.
However, 25 minutes is not enough time for ETERNAL to convey a profound story. The sounds are broken up, like dreams with no logical connection. Despite the powerful sound technology, the story’s lack of completeness is the work’s downfall.
DARKFIELD RADIO: DOUBLE, VISITORS and ETERNAL is an absolutely immersive, terrifying, and exploratory audio experience.
