Ian McKellen and More Will Lead AN ARK Mixed Reality Play

The world's first Mixed Reality play will receive its European premiere on 27 March at Aviva Studios. The run will play until 10 April and tickets are on sale to the general public from 20 October.

 

When does a story become theatre? Is it when the actors step on to the stage? What if the actors are with you, but not with you? AN ARK is the world's first Mixed Reality play, bringing you face-to-face with extraordinary performances from Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene and Rosie Sheehy – in a journey through sex, love, death, work and everything that makes a life.

 

Through Mixed Reality glasses, experience theatre like you've never seen it before: up-close, intimate and with unflinching eye contact, creating an impossibly close connection between actor and audience. This new form of theatre places you at the heart of a deeply personal exploration of what it means to live, to grieve and to connect.

Captured in a single take, this one-of-a-kind theatrical encounter features extraordinary performances from Ian McKellen (King Lear, Hamlet, Lord of the Rings), Golda Rosheuvel (Not Your Superwoman, Bridgerton), Arinzé Kene (Misty, Get Up, Stand Up!) and Rosie Sheehy (Guess How Much I Love You, Machinal).

Todd Eckert, Founder of Tin Drum said: “Every work in every art form has its origin somewhere in the world.  For AN ARK it all starts in Manchester.  If that city didn't exist, our play wouldn't either.  As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, it's a very happy - and completely appropriate - event for us to be opening the show Europe there.”

John McGrath, CEO of Factory International said: “I am thrilled to be continuing our relationship with Todd Eckert and his groundbreaking company Tin Drum. After the enormous success of KAGAMI here in Manchester, it is a genuine pleasure to be presenting the European premiere of AN ARK. At Factory International we are constantly striving to work with the world's leading artists whose practice is changing the boundaries of what culture can do. This could not be more true about the work of Tin Drum and this unique collaboration between some of the world's very best creators.”

Ian McKellen said: “A new Simon Stephens play is always an excitement but when it is written to be performed in this unique way, it feels more like an explosion! The four of us in front of 50 cameras simultaneously, relishing the chance to explore a new way of acting. New York has already been impressed with the result - now it's Manchester's turn.”

Golda Roshuvel said: “Performing in AN ARK was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had. It was a profoundly moving piece to be part of, both as a performer and as a human being. Simon Stephens' writing has such a powerful way of investigating what it means to be human, while simultaneously exploring the complexities of the self. Being immersed in that world, and sharing it with an audience, was an incredibly special experience. The piece stayed with me long after performing it, and I feel very fortunate to have been part of it.”

Arinzé Kene said: “Making AN ARK was truly an experience like no other. In my twenty years of acting I can confidently say that I have nothing to compare it to. It is a piece of art that is genuinely unique. Unique in the way it was conceived by Simon Stephens words, Sarah Frankhom's direction, Todd Eckert's vision, and the technology used to capture it. Its originality carries over to the experience of watching it. It's a heartbreaking story in a mind altering medium. ”

Rosie Sheehy said: “Making AN ARK with such a remarkable team was a true adventure. Experimenting with what theatre can be is always a thrill - when the boundaries are being stretched this far it can feel terrifying at times. However, being surrounded by such an extraordinary group of people took away that fear and replaced it with excitement and reward. It felt very good to be part of it all.”

Mixed Reality pioneer Todd Eckert returns to Manchester after a sold-out run of KAGAMI–a groundbreaking Mixed Reality concert with Ryuichi Sakamoto – at MIF23. For AN ARK, he collaborates with Tony Award–winning writer Simon Stephens (Vanya, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and critically acclaimed director Sarah Frankcom (The Nico Project, Robin/Red/Breast).

Simon Stephens said: “It means a great deal to bring AN ARK to Manchester. There is a particular thrill at being engaged in a technology that is in the earliest years of its life. There is an uncanny haunting in the qualities of AN ARK that I can't wait to see again. What lives with me most, though, is not the energy of the new but the resonance of the human. We look deep into those actors' eyes and they see us and they touch us with the story they tell. It is a startling new technology that is engaged in kindling something ancient and deep within us. I can't wait to see it again.”