Punchdrunk, the UK pioneer of immersive theatre, recently partnered with Niantic, the leader in location-based gaming behind the hit Pokémon GO. Together they create a partnership that has the potential to bring entertainment to a whole new level.

The inspiration for the collaboration came not from the pandemic, but from the international performance of Sleep No More.

“We’ve often heard audiences comparing performance to gaming. It’s an idea that has fascinated us for a long time and led us to imagine what would happen if we integrated classic video game mechanics with digital technology into our work. We believe the future of interactive audience experiences could be a cross between gaming and theatre,” explains Punchdrunk.
Punchdrunk, pionieri britannici nel teatro immersivo, hanno recentemente attivato una collaborazione con Niantic, leader nel settore gaming basato sulla geolocalizzazione che sta dietro il successo Pokémon GO. Insieme danno vita ad una partnership che ha un potenziale di intrattenimento a livelli mai raggiunti prima. 

Today, as we carefully pick up the pieces of what’s left, there’s also a sense of optimism and opportunity for what a new normal might look like.

What does this mean?

While COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are starting to ease, delivering immersive live experiences while adhering to social distancing is still a significant challenge. Combining the skill of making theatre with the growing interest in mobile gaming has led us to imagine new possibilities.

This type of cross-industry collaboration is not only notable for the interest in reviving theatre experiences, but also an opportunity for theatre brands: Cross-industry collaboration in a crisis translates into greater business results, according to the Harvard Business Review, and makes you better equipped to solve for rapid change and complex problems.

Immersive brand experiences that have until now been limited to physical environments can now be reimagined through the lens of augmented reality.

“We can imagine a future where audiences are individually distanced while intimately immersed in live performances that are simultaneously connected on a global scale,” according to Helen W. Kennedy and Sarah Atkinson; professors of Creative and Cultural Industries and Screen Media, respectively.

Cross-industry collaboration in a time of crisis yields much greater business results

During lockdown, we saw several attempts at remote experiences; however, none could match the depth of live events, improvisation, and two-way interaction. We are now seeing a leap into a future where physical distance is no longer a barrier to engagement and where reaching large audiences does not take away from immersion.

However, this approach is not without risks. The lockdown has brought into sharp focus the importance of unmediated access to public spaces such as parks. One of the biggest criticisms of augmented reality is that it has the potential to erode the sense of the public sphere. As concerns about public spaces, private space, and the right to go where we want to intensify, we need to be mindful of the potential unintended consequences.