During our Multimedia classes we learnt about the theatre company Gobsquad. Following on from this I visited their website to learn a little more about them. They state that their aim is to “make performances and videos which search for beauty in the everyday, and look for words of wisdom from a passing stranger” (http://www.gobsquad.com/about-us). It is clear to see that their productions infuse both performance and video, meaning they are a multimedia theatre company, illustrated when they say “We try and explore the point where theatre meets art, media and real life. As well as theatres and galleries, we place our work at the heart of urban life – in houses, shops, underground stations, car parks, hotels or directly on the street” (http://www.gobsquad.com/about-us).
What particularly interested us with the connection it had with immersive theatre as they also state “Everyday life and magic, banality and utopia, reality and entertainment are all set on a collision course and the audience are often asked to step beyond their traditional role as passive spectators and bear witness to the results” (http://www.gobsquad.com/about-us). The audience’s role is questioned as they are made to actively participate in the performances. From watching an example of their work (which can be seen below) it is clear to see that Gobsquad take this a step further as members of the public become performers also, simply by being captured in the video footage.
What is most interesting about this performance is that they have a story line and character profiles to bind the project and give it purpose. By having a narrative behind the project it changes how the public are viewed as they are subconsciously immersed and instantly become part of the story upon encountering them.
What is also intriguing is the venue in which the videos are watched. Theoretically the footage only exists virtually, however to see what is happening on all of the cameras, at one time, the videos need to be displayed within an auditorium space. This gave us the idea of having a live element within our performance that could be streamed and watched continuously. This exists in the form of the live bedroom.
A bedroom will be set up on the stage of the auditorium, out of view by the audience due to the separation of a curtain. A person will be lying in this bed continuously throughout the performance. A teaser video which can be seen in the previous post “Acquiring footage for our performance”, this will create the impression that the audience is being led up to the room that they can see on the live stream, creating the impression that this room is in a separate location and the camera is acting as a CCTV device. It will also create the impression, similar to that which Gobsquad set out to achieve that this room is essentially virtual also as the exact location of this room is unknown. This will be paired with the showing of pre-recorded footage of an installation dream room in which people enter to recite their dream and have a lay down. At the end of the performance this room will then be revealed on stage, and audience members will be invited to enter the space, creating a new aspect of the performance whilst also blurring the boundaries between the virtual room shown as a projection and the real, physical room.
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Online Citation: Gob Squad. (1992). About Us. Available: http://www.gobsquad.com/about-us. Last accessed 11 April 2013 GoetheBangalore. (2012). Gob Squad: Super Night Shot. [Online Video]. 11 Jan. Available from:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gKj85COyAJk. [Accessed: 11 April 2013]. By Nina Woods
