7 Deadly Sins: World’s first hybrid eGaming stage show

IMAGINE a stage show where you don’t just immerse yourself in the story, enjoy the music, and marvel at the spectacle; you also get to actively ‘game’ your way through the performance and influence what happens on stage, reports Ryan Butler.

‘7 Deadly Sins’ is the world’s first hybrid eGaming and storytelling stage show, and it will premier a number of development performances in The Civic Theatre, Tallaght, on July 12 and 13

Utilizing ground-breaking mapping technology, created in partnership with Maynooth University, the audience uses a simple app on their mobile phone to become ‘active’ participants, creating a seamless interaction between the audience and performers in real-time.

So instead of being told to ‘put your phone away’ when you enter the theatre, this performance will be asking you to get your phone out and be a part of the show!

This steam-punk rock opera, created by Irish playwright and technologist Niall Austin and directed by Prof. David Bassuk, re-imagines Dante Alighieri’s iconic 14th-century masterpiece ‘Inferno’ for the 21st century.

The 7 Deadly Sins are positioned as digital or social media channels such as: Photo and video sharing apps represent Envy, Dating apps represent Lust, Cryptocurrency represents Greed.

While the performance is taking place live on stage, audience members can engage in combat with an array of virtual demons, zombies and dragons through an app available on IOS and Android.

Spectators are encouraged to hold up their phones during the show and partake in the performance by using the app, which features augmented reality gaming technology contextually designed around the on-stage production.

Starring opera sensation Claudia Boyle, rising hip-hop star Fortune Igiebor and singer and actress Aoife Spratt, the performance also features a host of other, never-before-seen interactive features.

This week, we sat down with Niall to discuss ‘7 Deadly Sins’, which will be performed in the Civic on July 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.

What inspired this show?

I’ve been making video games for a long time, and I have always wondered about creating a mental reality for players to fully immerse themselves in and feel like they’re in the game.

I was inspired by interactive games such as Pokemon Go.

I started working with Maynooth University to augment reality using a mapping process as well as the data from phones.

I remember thinking to myself, “How can we fully invest audiences?” I picked the story of Dante as the template for the show because there is a very clear journey there.

This is a very ambitious project; the audience can fight monsters by playing a first-person shooter while also being able to interact with the characters on stage.

Imagine watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for the first time back in 1939; before then, audiences were predominantly exposed to black-and-white television.

Now put yourself in those shoes, as they see the transition to coloured television via watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

That kind of experience is something that I’d like to give to people who come to see this show.

I am hoping to create a theme park for theatres. I feel it is the next step in the evolution of interactive experiences in theater.

It also helps that the cast (Claudia Boyle, Fortune Igiebor, and Aoife Spratt) is fabulous; they want the audience to come on this journey with them.

How long has the show been in the works?

I’ve had the idea for it for about five years; the technical production has taken around one year.

It will be holding its world premiere in the Civic, so this July 12–13 will be the first time it has ever been performed. I think it may be the first fully interactive stage show in the world, and I am hoping it will reach a similar level of success to shows such as ‘Hamilton’ or ‘Riverdance’, where we can take it worldwide.

Have there been any highlights or challenges during production?

It’s a complicated show to develop because, compared to the traditional play, it has many more dimensions; we have to incorporate multiple aspects such as backdrop videos, dancing, performers, gameifying the entire audience, etc.

It is the first time ever a show like this has been done so there is definitely increased complexity involved in the production.

However, we know it will be worth all the effort in the end.

It is definitely a holistic idea, but we look forward to seeing how it all comes together.

What is next for you?

We’re planning to film the show to be shown in cinemas and then hopefully film festivals.

We would like to screen it around the country and then hopefully travel the world with it.

Who would you like to thank? It’s a loaded question, I know!

It’s a very loaded question, haha! Well obviously, a production like this wouldn’t be possible without relying on the goodwill of others, namely the staff at the Civic and Donal Shiels for being so supportive and encouraging the idea and giving us the space to perform it.

I would also like to thank Maynooth University for their technological support and helping me to demonstrate the selling point of the show, the cast and crew who have just gone above and beyond to make the show the best version of itself it can be, the South Dublin County Council Arts Office for their appreciation of arts and culture, which I found very encouraging, and the Local Enterprise Office for giving this show the funding to make it possible.