As part of our Edinburgh Fringe 2024 coverage, we are running a series of interviews with artists and creatives that are taking part in the festival.
In this interview, we speak to Darkfield about ARCADE
Where did your arts career begin?
I’m a writer. I’ve written and published novels, written plays for Radio 4 and have made work collaboratively with various artists for 20 years. I started working with David Rosenberg in 2012 and we founded Darkfield in 2016. David was a member of the shunt collective and also makes work with choreographer Frauke Requardt.
I’m a writer. I’ve written and published novels, written plays for Radio 4 and have made work collaboratively with various artists for 20 years. I started working with David Rosenberg in 2012 and we founded Darkfield in 2016. David was a member of the shunt collective and also makes work with choreographer Frauke Requardt.
What can you tell me about your show?
ARCADE uses the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic of 1980’s video games to tell an interactive narrative exploring the evolving relationship between players and avatars.
It is a choose-your-own-path experience in a completely dark shipping container, employing 360 degree binaural sound and sensory effects.
Players guide their avatar through a world ravaged by endless war. There are many routes and many different outcomes.
Our last show, Eulogy, toyed with the idea of branch narratives and we wanted to explore more this idea that every audience member could be having a different experience within the same world of the show. It’s been a year-long plus process - writing, recording and editing the story alongside work being done on the arcade cabinets - designing, prototyping and finessing them.
David and myself are only usually in town for a few days at the start to open the shows. Then we leave all the daily work to our brilliant technical managers and front of house staff.
Although our stay is short we try and see a few shows in the short time we have, but it’s usually about finding something last minute, when we have a gap. Last year the stand out show was Dark Noon by Fix+Foxy. We’ll be hoping to catch something as good again this year.
We’ve been lucky enough to get our work presented at venues all over the world and it’s constantly inspiring to see trucks turning up at a site carrying a white shipping container. Creating these foreign language productions alongside making new shows keeps us very busy.
ARCADE uses the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic of 1980’s video games to tell an interactive narrative exploring the evolving relationship between players and avatars.
How would you describe the style of the show?
It is a choose-your-own-path experience in a completely dark shipping container, employing 360 degree binaural sound and sensory effects.
Players guide their avatar through a world ravaged by endless war. There are many routes and many different outcomes.
How have you approached developing the piece?
Our last show, Eulogy, toyed with the idea of branch narratives and we wanted to explore more this idea that every audience member could be having a different experience within the same world of the show. It’s been a year-long plus process - writing, recording and editing the story alongside work being done on the arcade cabinets - designing, prototyping and finessing them.
How do/will you prepare yourself for a run at the Fringe?
David and myself are only usually in town for a few days at the start to open the shows. Then we leave all the daily work to our brilliant technical managers and front of house staff.
Other than the show, what’s something you’re looking forward to doing in Edinburgh this year?
Although our stay is short we try and see a few shows in the short time we have, but it’s usually about finding something last minute, when we have a gap. Last year the stand out show was Dark Noon by Fix+Foxy. We’ll be hoping to catch something as good again this year.
What keeps you inspired?
We’ve been lucky enough to get our work presented at venues all over the world and it’s constantly inspiring to see trucks turning up at a site carrying a white shipping container. Creating these foreign language productions alongside making new shows keeps us very busy.
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Photo by Katie Edwards |
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
We want our audiences to leave the container excited about the size of the world they’ve been moving through, interested in what other journeys other audience members have been on, and keen to give it another go.
ARCADE is on outside Summerhall (The Terrace) between 31 July and 26 August. It’s on at various times every day from 12 noon and lasts for 30 minutes.
We want our audiences to leave the container excited about the size of the world they’ve been moving through, interested in what other journeys other audience members have been on, and keen to give it another go.
Where can audiences see the show?
ARCADE is on outside Summerhall (The Terrace) between 31 July and 26 August. It’s on at various times every day from 12 noon and lasts for 30 minutes.
Tickets are available from https://festival24.summerhall.co.uk/events/arcade/#
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