DARKFIELD in Manchester: Three blood pumping, heart racing experiences
Meghan Glover
From the outside, it’s a shipping container. On the inside, it’s an Airbus economy cabin, an 1980s arcade, and a Victorian séance room. Three DARKFIELD experiences came to Manchester for the first time in seven years this September and we went to all of them.
DARKFIELD’s work has toured globally and has reached over 550,000 audiences. It utilises striking sets inside shipping containers, with binaural 360 degree sound, complete darkness and sensory effects. And it is safe to say participants are fully immersed for the entirety of the experience. Sat in complete darkness with headphones on, the events are not only disorientating, but evoke an incredible feeling of vulnerability at every moment.
With ARCADE at Lowry, FLIGHT at Aviva Studios, and SÉANCE at HOME, we were thrown into the centre of three intense, evolving narratives.
First up was the newest DARKFIELD experience – ARCADE. With a run time of 25 minutes, you are stationed in front of an 80s inspired arcade machine, and once participants put the headphones on they have two jobs. Press a button if you want to answer yes, and insert coins into the slot on your right when prompted. But, when the lights are turned out – and we mean completely out, staring ahead into the pitch black only makes these tasks even more nerve-inducing.
Once the experience starts, you have to guide your avatar through a world ravaged by war through a set of audio instructions and a play-by-play. And there are many routes you can take with several different outcomes. (Not too dissimilar to Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch interactive episode.)
Choose one side of the war or join a cult – the path your character will take is all up to the decisions you make. To add to the experience, sprays of what we can only assume is water, and bursts of air cut through the darkness as you make the choices for your character – whether good or bad. This thrilling event has you questioning your morals, and the element of interactivity makes it all the more intense.
Lowry Co-Head of Theatres, Matthew Eames, said: “DARKFIELD create such exciting, unique and special immersive experiences. It’s brilliant to be working with our friends at HOME and Factory International so that our audiences can experience 3 of these amazing experiences over a 2 week period.”
Credit: Katie Edwards
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios is the longest experience of the three, sitting at a 30 minute run time. And it will have you gripping your economy seat for dear life. If you have a fear of flying, or a strong dislike for Ryan Air style cabins – this is not for you.
FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, and takes passengers through two worlds, two realities and two possible outcomes. And while passengers are deprived of one sense, it’s not only audio that this experience leans on. Jolts and vibrations from the seat and floor add to this overwhelmingly intense half an hour journey. It really does leave you with the feeling that someone is right there next to you offering you a drink, or saying something a little more sinister. With two different outcomes, the experience differs depending on the participant, but all we can say is that we are definitely less inclined to hop on a budget Boeing.
Factory International Artistic Director and Chief Executive, John McGrath, commented: “Collaboration is at the heart of Factory International; and we have a long history of working with other arts organisations across Manchester through our biennial Manchester International Festival, which returns this summer. We’re thrilled to be joining forces with our neighbours at HOME and Lowry to offer audiences the opportunity to experience a trio of unique immersive Darkfield experiences running across the city.”
Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
SÉANCE at HOME was our final stop. With Victorian decor that resembled a séance room, and a faintly dusty smell that one of the participants commented smelt like ‘dead people’ – the scene was set. In typical séance fashion, once the headphones were on and lights out, the experience took us through an attempt to contact the dead.
Repeated audio like ‘don’t take your hands off of the table’ peppered the dialogue as the narrative unfolded and the story became more intense. This combined with the genuine feeling of someone being right behind you was unsettling to say the least. Without giving too much away, SÉANCE leaned on sensory effects as well as audio to make for a thrilling experience.
HOME Manchester CEO, Karen O’Neill, commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome DARKFIELD to HOME and to be a part of this bold collaboration with Lowry and Factory International. These unique experiences challenge the boundaries of storytelling and remind us just how powerful immersive experiences can be.”
Credit: Meghan Glover
Deprived of one of your senses, it’s scary what your mind makes you believe.
Featured image credit: Mihaela Bodlovic