SWARM
An immersive nightclub theatre experience
In her second year of University, Hannah undertook a Directing Placement with Riptide Theatre, assisting on their production of SWARM. She supported in rehearsals and production, and volunteered on show nights.
The Show
This is not a club night. This is not theatre. This is something new.
SWARM was an immersive experience set within an hedonistic nightclub, where every night was a brand new beginning.
Audience members stepped into the spotlight, danced and drank with performers, as the narrative unfolded around them. This is a club that reacts to the people within it, audience members directly impacted on the performance, from the colour of the lights to the prices of the drinks at the bar.
The Creatives
Performers: Wiebke Acton, Karla Farrar, Cornelius Geaney Jr, Jacob Justice, Amelie Leroy, India Thompson
Director: Alexander Palmer
Producer: Anna Turzynski
Writer: Sophie Dumont
Technical Manager: Natalie McLoughlin
Sound Designer: Will Wadham
Choreographer: Becs Scanlon
Show dates
5th-14th May 2016
Studio 24
Leeds
Reviews
“It was entering my own film, I was part of the action without knowing how I got there.”
“I don’t like going to the theatre, I find it quite self-indulgent and it has an air of pompousness about it. SWARM was the antidote to all of that feeling. This is a theatre piece for everyone.”
“I enjoyed having the one-to-one moments with the characters. The thrill of not knowing who the actors are is that you have no idea when just a causal conversation with someone will turn into a ‘performance’.”
— Audience Feedback
“Riptide make use of many public locations, not only nightclubs, so there is choice when it comes to engaging with some crowd-involving drama.”
— Jilly Forster, The State of the Arts
“Immersive productions like SWARM are not just fun to watch, they’re also essential to our development as a city. Because Riptide, and the all the young, innovative companies that sit alongside them, are setting the benchmark for our culture industry – and they’re setting it high.”
— Ali Turner, Leeds List
