As the coronavirus pandemic goes on, virtual plays and virtual gaming are not unheard of, but how about a mix of both?
Local theatre company Sight Lines Entertainment is presenting a novel Cluedo-esque virtual play running for three nights from June 26 to 28.
Written by playwright Chong Tze Chien and helmed by producer and artistic director Derrick Chew, Murder At Mandai Camp promises to be an interactive live theatrical production through Zoom.
Drawing inspiration from urban legends and army myths, the play follows a uniquely Singapore storyline which local viewers will find familiar. Audience members will be cast as the lead investigator, tasked to uncover the truth behind the gruesome death of a young recruit following a routine outfield exercise.
The team decided to turn the instant messaging service Telegram into a trusty investigator's handbook, which will be fed with evidence and information in real time. The audience will also be asked to cast a collective vote to apprehend the guilty party at the end.
The play is expected to run for an hour between 10 and 11pm on each day of screening.
While the idea for the play was conceived two years ago, Chong and Chew considered the technical complications of staging a physical production with audience participation and decided to put the idea on the backburner.
As Covid-19 brought a halt to Singapore's arts industry, the two began reflecting last month on ways to engage their audience and revisited the play.
Within a week, Chong had a script in hand and the two assembled the rest of their core team, which includes multimedia designer Genevieve Peck and actors Erwin Shah Ismail, Bright Ong and Irsyad Dawood.
Chong says it would have been difficult to put together a play within the short window of time if they did not have the idea on hand.
"The idea was always brewing in my head and we were one step away from execution. Although we cannot replace the live performance experience, we are evolving," he adds.
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BOOK IT
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MURDER AT MANDAI CAMP[hhmc]
WHERE: Virtual production will be screened via video-conferencing app Zoom
WHEN: June 26 to June 28, 10pm
ADMISSION: Tickets are available from Sistic at $15, with an option to support the play by opting for payment of $20, $30 or $50. Laut cocktails ($38/250ml) can be bought on Sistic
As a multimedia designer, Peck developed the play's chilling atmosphere, merging stage and film to cast a spooky backdrop for the actors.
To calm their nerves, vRead More – Source
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