Darkfield – creators of last years Séance – have brought their shipping container back to Summerhall for their latest aeronautically themed immersive audio performance, Flight.
Testament to the sheer power of audio and imagination
The inside of the container has been fitted like the inside of an aeroplane, and looks very impressive – even to us frequent flyers. Our luggage is stored in the overhead lockers, and we are away. The majority of the short performance takes place in total darkness, with the real magic of the piece being supplied via headphones. The piece has been based on the Schrodinger’s Cat paradox, where inside the box (with some poison) the cat is both alive and dead at the same time. In this case, it is the audience who are the cat. What starts off as a normal flight, with crying babies and air hostesses with drinks carriages, begins to fracture and splinter as these different realities collide.
This show is a testament to the sheer power of audio and imagination. The sounds used create some truly glorious sensations, like the absolutely beautifully rendered recreation of the way your ears pop when a plane takes off which was phenomenal. Darkfield are practiced at tricking your senses, making you believe people are moving next to you and behind you. Particularly skin crawling was the parts when people whispered in your ear.
It was a shame the weakest part was the overarching plot. Whilst there were amazing moments created, it never felt like you were truly in danger. It wasn’t clear what we were supposed to be afraid of, which made the ending feel a bit underwhelming.
If you have never experienced a show like this before, this is the perfect place to start. Darkfield have created an excellent set of sensations, even if they do not wholly string together.
