DARKFIELD Will Launch Four Container Residency In Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

DARKFIELD has announced an exciting four show collection taking up residency in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - FLIGHT, COMA, EULOGY and ARCADE - from Tuesday 7 October - Sunday 2 November

Renowned for their trademark shipping containers popping up across the UK and internationally - DARKFIELD bring four of their most critically acclaimed productions to London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from Tuesday 7 October - Sunday 2 November, in their biggest and longest ever presentation in London. Audiences can find themselves boarding a new airline, slipping into an immersive dream, lost in a labyrinthine hotel, or navigating a war torn world, across FLIGHT, COMA, EULOGY, and ARCADE.

Bordering their two home bases in Hackney Wick and Silvertown - where the DARKFIELD offices and studio reside - the company are embedding themselves in their local community, building on a rich and growing creative presence in the area. DARKFIELD will work with local creatives and businesses throughout their residency. In addition to the four container experiences, Darkfield will provide a bar area and buzz for audiences to enjoy in between experiences. Will you take on all four containers?

Fresh from sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BFI London Film Festival, Shoreditch Town Hall, and a region-wide collaboration across Greater Manchester; DARKFIELD present their largest ever collection in the heart of East London, with containers returning to the city for the first time since 2022.

Glen Neath, Co-Artistic Director of DARKFIELD, commented: “It's long been our dream to establish a site where we can host all our containers in one place, so we're very excited to finally open DARKFIELD LONDON so close to our two bases in North-East London. It's great to have such a long residency at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is fast becoming a mainstay in London's cultural scene. This is the first time we've presented our containers in London since 2022 and we couldn't be more thrilled to be back!”

Mark Camley, Executive Director of Estate and Neighbourhoods, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Darkfield's innovative and critically acclaimed immersive experiences to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, showcasing the creativity and vibrancy that define this part of east London. This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering unique cultural experiences that not only engage visitors but also offer exciting opportunities for local residents to get involved. By bringing immersive theatre to the Park, we are further cementing our role as a key player in London's experience economy and a hub for growth, creativity and community engagement.”

Immersing audiences into total darkness, using DARKFIELD's trademark 360 degree binaural sound delivered through headphones, each container will immerse audiences in a new world where everything is not quite as it seems. 

Using the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic of 1980's video games, ARCADE's interactive narrative explores the evolving relationship between players and avatars. Over 30 minutes, players will guide their avatar through a world ravaged by endless war: you can choose a side, win or lose the war, search for a peaceful route, or join a cult promising a better version of reality. Players will ask themselves difficult questions, as they navigate a world where some will win and others will lose. No two journeys through the experience will be the same.

COMA invites audiences to take part in a mass experiment, and together, slip into a collective dream, encouraged by a mysterious voice in their headphones. Harnessing all of the skills in DARKFIELD's technical arsenal, COMA takes place in the pitch-darkness, utilising 360-degree binaural sound, and with some unique additions developed specifically for this show that leave audiences wondering what's real and what's a dream. 

EULOGY is a surreal, otherworldly journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel that exists entirely in your mind. How you arrived is a mystery and why you're there remains unclear. Just make sure you read the pamphlet. This intense and exhilarating ride uses speech recognition technology to deceive the senses and transport audience members through rooms, down corridors and into the bowels of this strange and not altogether comfortable hotel. How your dream unfolds is, in part, up to you. 

FLIGHT takes place in a shipping container, the interior of which exactly resembles an Airbus 320 economy cabin, and over 30 minutes explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities and two possible outcomes to their journey. There are many worlds in which this plane lands safely.