Review: Eclipse Studios' ECLIPSE D'AMOUR: A Parody of a Spectacle

Review by Nabila “Hana” Hananti, editing by Rakaputra Paputungan.

On the 6th, 8th, and 12-14 February 2026, Eclipse Studios hosted ECLIPSE D'AMOUR, their “immersive murder mystery experience disguised as a reality dating show”. This show took place at Krapela, an open modular space and bar in South Jakarta. We from Broadway World Indonesia had the opportunity to watch their preview show alongside many other invitees on the night of February 3rd, and here is our review.

The premise was, as promoted, solving a murder case in a dating show that takes place within a bar. Presented in an interactive format, the stage was brought to the audience instead of us simply watching what was happening on the stage. We became part of the performance, being given the freedom to interact, to interfere, and to be part of the show that was ECLIPSE D'AMOUR.

Unfortunately, this premise was not directly informed to the audience prior to the show. It started off a bit confusing, as the audiences were questioning the limit of the interaction they are able to do.

A set storyline was set—that much was certain. However, how much of those ‘set storyline’ are we, as the audience members, able to interfere with? How much of what the actors are saying were said for the formalities of the format that they were working on and how much was genuine? Say, for example, when the actors told us that we could get a drink or go on a toilet break, would it not break the immersion of the story we were going to go through? Sometimes, the things they are saying doesn’t feel like something we, the audience, ought to be allowed to do. This ‘fourth-wall break’ and ‘mingling’ environment only finally felt natural when the murder had happened and the case was unfolding, when the audience were given the opportunity to interact with each and every one of the actors. But, prior to that, it just came off as unclear.

For an immersive experience, the beginning felt the least so, as it was super obvious that the drama happening was not authentic, thereby undercutting the premise. The story didn’t absorb the audience immediately. The beginning staggered, especially as there was a bit of a sound issue, making what the host was saying difficult to hear. This issue made the whole beginning felt more like a struggle to comprehend what the host was saying compared to actually understanding what was happening. The whole thing felt more like a forum instead of a show, only eventually becoming slightly engaging when there was an ‘infighting’ between the actors. Then, the chaos started, and eventually, someone died, and that was when the show became a more interesting experience. 

I found it more intriguing to watch the different audience reactions to the incident compared to witnessing the actual incident itself on the stage. Because we, the audience, retain the awareness that the murder was a fabrication (it is part of the show), we can choose to interact with it as a spectacle.

A lot of the audience members used the opportunity to vlog, to commentate, to gossip, and to make their own assumptions about things. What’s happening almost felt like a satire of human nature; people generally don’t care about others and/or are apathetic about things so long as it does not affect their well-being. This play pretty much has become a critique about society. People very much enjoy spectacle, and this drama was a low-risk kind of spectacle. People can enjoy this show without facing any consequences.

Personally, I’d rather use this interactive format in order to have an organic conversation with the cast, testing their superb improvisation ability while retaining their character. Unfortunately, the limited duration – and the overwhelming number of invitees – made this fragmented format unfortunate, because, by the end of it, it felt like there were a lot of things I missed out during my viewing. It felt more like a pop-up show compared to a whole experience, one that you can leave at any time. And while it was entertaining at times, wholly, I felt a bit disappointed. That being said, the concept is intriguing enough that I’d still like to see Eclipse Studios return with neater planning and execution.

Broadwayworld Indonesia was a media partner for ECLIPSE D’AMOUR.