Ian McKellen to star in UK premiere of ‘mixed reality’ play - but not in person
LifestyleThe Guardian

Ian McKellen to star in UK premiere of ‘mixed reality’ play - but not in person

Ian McKellen will appear in a mixed-reality play in Manchester next March, projected via smart glasses rather than performing on stage in person.

Audiences in Manchester will be asked to wear smart glasses for An Ark, which debuted in New York this year

The Long Sip
What happened

Ian McKellen will star in An Ark, a mixed-reality play getting its UK premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester from 27 March to 10 April.

The detail

McKellen and three other actors were filmed by 52 cameras in a single take in Grenoble, and audiences wear smart glasses to see them projected into the room.

And then

The 47-minute production explores life and death, with organisers saying the technology creates an intimacy closer to a private conversation than a traditional stage show.

Full story at The Guardian

What readers are saying

TwoMumsLou
The bit that jumped out at me was that they filmed all four actors in one take with 52 cameras in Grenoble - so it's not like traditional theatre where you can reshoot a scene. That's a genuinely different skill set, and McGrath's right that it's closer to film work. Interesting to see how that constraint shapes the performance. 📽️
norman
The piece mentions it's a 47-minute production, but does it say whether the price is comparable to a standard theatre ticket?
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