A Distributed Theatre Experiment with Shakespeare Erik Geelhoed Falmouth University The Air Building, Penryn, Cornwall, UK erik.geelhoed@falmouth.ac.uk Andras Horti Joanneum Research Steyrergasse 17 A-8010 Graz Austria andras.horti@joanneum.at Michael Frantzis Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, London. m.frantzis@gold.ac.uk Bill Scott Miracle Theatre Company Redruth, UK bill@miracletheatre.co.uk ABSTRACT This paper reports on an experimental production of The Tempest that was developed in collaboration with Miracle Theatre Company realised as a distributed performance from two separate stages through a dynamically configured telepresence system. The production allowed an exploration of the way a range of technologies, including consumer grade broadband, cameras and projection technologies could affect the development and delivery of live theatre by regional touring company. The architecture of the communication platform used to deliver the performance is introduced as are two novel software tools that are used to describe and control the way the play should be captured and represented. The experimental production was thoroughly evaluated and the feedback from audience and theatre professionals is presented in some detail. A considered observation of the process and the way it differs from film, TV and theatre suggest that distributed theatre can be treated as a new genre of storytelling. Categories and Subject Descriptors Computer applications: ARTS AND HUMANITIES: Performing Arts General Terms: Design, Experimentation. Measurement Keywords: Distributed theatre; Broadband 1. INTRODUCTION Shakespeare’s plays have been performed on stage for over 400 years, but the way they are presented is often adapted to take advantage of new technologies. Innovations in staging, lighting, costumes, sound effects and props have all been used to re interpret the plays of the bard in ways that are meant to be attractive to audiences. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honoured. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from Permissions@acm.org MM'15, October 26 - 30, 2015, Brisbane, Australia Copyright is held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM. ACM 978-1-4503-3459-4/15/10…$15.00 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2733373.2806272 This paper describes a detailed case study that explores how a range of technologies, including consumer grade broadband, cameras and projection technologies could affect the development and delivery of live theatre through an experimental production of The Tempest that was developed in collaboration with Miracle Theatre Company 1 . Miracle Theatre Company is a small, well established regional touring company that produces both familiar and new work across the South West of England. Since their goal is to bring theatre to people, they often perform in small outdoor locations using simple staging and lighting and sometimes in small community venues such as village halls. This approach enables them to reach remote venues but requires a form of theatre which places limited demands on staging, lighting, props and costume. 1.1 Motivations The work described in this paper is motivated primarily by enquiry from commercial and artistic perspectives. The drive from these quarters creates a rare opportunity for scientific investigation with high ecological validity. To underscore and embed that opportunity the performance, carried out by a commercial theatre company with a reputation to maintain, took place in front of a paying audience. The complex blend of ambition, responsibility and jeopardy created a poignant mix of dread and excitement. 1.2 Artistic Motivation Miracle Theatre Company’s interest in this project was to explore the extent to which consumer grade fast broadband connections, cameras and screens can be used to help them to achieve their stated purpose i.e. to produce a rich mix of touring theatre, always with a unique comic style, joyful use of language and an immediate visual appeal. It embraces digital technology, nurtures new writers, performers, venues and promoters. Miracle works to build audiences by bringing ‘big’ shows to little venues. Miracle is committed to touring work which is innovative, but not intimidating, to communities in the far flung corners of the UK.’ The motivation for this work was thus to establish whether consumer grade fast broadband, cameras, and projection technologies could be used to deliver an engaging amusing performance to a paying audience whilst also exploring the extent to which it could extend audience reach, bring something new to 1 www.miracletheatre.co.uk Doug Williams & Ian Kegel BT Adastral Park, IPSWICH, Suffolk, UK doug.williams@bt.com Marian Ursu University of York Theatre, Film and Television Baird Lane, York, UK marian.ursu@york.ac.uk Pablo Cesar & Jack Jansen CWI Science Park 123, 1098 XG Amsterdam P.O. Box 94079, NL-1090 GB Amsterdam, NL p.s.cesar@cwi.nl 281