Audiences in Manchester will be asked to wear smart glasses for An Ark, which debuted in New York this year. Ian McKellen will star in a groundbreaking new play that gets its UK premiere in Manchester next spring. However, the veteran actor will not set foot on stage.
About the Play
The Lord of the Rings star is taking part in An Ark, a “mixed reality” play that had its debut in New York earlier this year. Theatregoers are asked to wear smart glasses, which project the actors into the room.
John McGrath, the chief executive of Factory International, which is putting on the play, explained:
““Mixed reality is when you see both the virtual elements of an experience and also the real world around you.”
He noted that it differs from virtual reality because rather than putting on “a set of goggles that exclude the physical reality you’re in”, these glasses “project into the space but also show the real world you are in.”
McKellen's Role
When asked whether McKellen would have any physical role in the play, which will be on at Aviva Studios from 27 March to 10 April, McGrath stated:
““His virtual presence will be there. He may well come and visit the play but you won’t see the real Ian McKellen performing.”
He expressed confidence that the audience would be satisfied to pay to attend a play where the actors were not present in the flesh, comparing it to watching a film: “When people go to see a film, you don’t spend time explaining the lead actors in the film won’t be in the cinema. This is no different.”
