‘Flight’ // Realscape Productions
‘Flight’ was turbulent.
Taking thrill-seekers on the flight of a lifetime, Realscape Productions, in association with DARKFIELD, are back with a new immersive theatre experience ready to leave audiences’ senses exploding.
Set in a 40-foot container in the heart of Brisbane, at Reddacliff Place, ‘Flight’ flew its passengers on an engrossing adventure into total darkness. Using binaural sound technology, audiences boarded the multi-sensory experience to listen to sound effects and voices that would propel them into another world.
Exploring the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, ‘Flight’ explored many outcomes in a universe, which were to be interpreted by its listener. Using the same scare tactics and combination of darkness and sound as its predecessor ‘Séance’, ‘Flight’ embarked on a new expedition and landed as its own unique show.
Upon entrance into the container, travellers were given a ticket stub, which randomly allocated their seat for the performance. Decked out like a full-blown aircraft, inside was an aisle of economy seats, complete with overhead lockers, belt buckles and emergency safety cards. Audiences were instructed to board quickly and quietly and to place the noise-cancelling headphones, found on the back of each chair, over their ears.
A safety briefing played on a drop-down monitor and flickered with a sketchy poltergeist feel. Spookily short-lived, the video was a fair warning for what was to come, before the lights went out and the trip commenced.
From take-off, ‘Flight’ overloaded ears and distorted reality on a 30-minute plane ride. There were babies crying, loud thumps, pilots and air hostesses whispering, cabaret-infused music and constant aeroplane hums, all set against an eerie soundscape. All designed to confuse perceptions. Without giving too much away, as it’s better to expect the unexpected, each listener became the lead in the story and, in this black-out world, literally didn’t know who to turn to.
This style of immersive theatre really worked in its ability to shift perceptions of reality and unlock audience imaginations. Sounds panned from left to right ear, manipulating environments and ideas of space. Where vision was normally our leading perception, audiences conjured up irrational thoughts guided only by the sense of sound and the odd turbulence here and there.
When compared to its sister-experience ‘Séance’, which effectively showcased paranormal activity, ‘Flight’ left audiences wanting just a little more anxiety-driven scares. Especially toward the ending of the experience; the storyline somewhat plateaued and simmered delicately out, rather than a crescendoing into a finale, which would have rounded out the goosebump-provoking experience satisfactorily.
Regardless, Realscape Productions have ambitiously transformed the conventional and traditional stages for immersive theatre. Styled with innovation, from the use of technology to the extremely realistic setting, audiences will find it easy to let go and be fully involved in the production.
For those wanting to test their own behavioural responses and reactions to fear (like this reviewer), ‘Flight’ was the perfect destination, as it provided an unforgettable journey into the mind. On the other side of the coin, those afraid of the dark and anyone suffering from aerophobia, ‘Flight’ isn’t your ideal holiday.
‘Flight’ is in the air until Saturday, 5 October 2019. To book your plane ticket, visit DARKFIELD Eventbrite Tickets.
