Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical
Written, directed and performed by Brendan Bradley
Imaginex at YOTEL Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 10 August 2024
⭐⭐
I was so excited to experience a new kind of theatre premiering at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 'Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical' promises a blend of immersive, improvised theatre, video games and Broadway.
Sounds cool, right? And it is. Set away from the rest of the Fringe hubs in a site specific location in the Edinburgh YOTEL at the end of Queen Street, it already feels a little different, a little exclusive. Greeted at the door, our tickets scanned, we were asked to connect our mobile phones to the YOTEL Wi-Fi to access the production website and interactive elements. Already a departure from the norm of being asked to switch your phone OFF at a regular theatre!
The room that houses 'NPC' in the YOTEL is a large square modern space with an impressive 360° projection welcoming the audience, offering another QR code and laying down a few ground rules. (The show is being filmed and live streamed - you have the option to leave if you don't consent to this.) Four members of the public are already on stage wearing VR headsets. The rest of the audience take their seats in the rows of chairs laid out in front and the show begins.
Writer / Director Brendan Bradley is the lead performer in the show and the 'NPC' in the video game. He takes centre stage and, after a few introductions and a song, 'Hero's Welcome' he walks the onstage participants through their first task in the virtual world. The 360º projection around the room has turned into the first level of the video game. We are seeing what those wearing the VR headsets are seeing... kind of.
No matter how unconventional an environment we find ourselves in, the non-playing audience - i.e. everyone bar the four people wearing headsets onstage - are essentially watching other people play a video game. It's like being at a friends house but not being given a shot of their new game. The first 10 minutes or so of 'the show' comprises us watching other people pick up rocks. And, as the 'players' are also new to the technology, they struggle with the task. Calls of "How do I...?" and "Where are you?" ring out from under the VR headsets. Brendan helps them in his kind, patient manner but it's not at all engaging for the audience in the room and the atmosphere is pretty flat.
There are five levels of the video game to work through and the graphics and projection technology is consistently sleek. An attempt is made to involve the audience who are asked to choose a colour, vote for an emotion or to type a word on their phones. But it's two or three clicks over an hour and not nearly enough to excite the lackluster crowd.
The on-screen gaming is thankfully bolstered by some genuinely inspired and beautiful songs. Brendan is accompanied by an enthusiastic and skilled Musical Director (Maurice Soque Jr.) on keyboard and sax. Brendan has a great voice and highlights 'One Life Left' and 'Reprogram Me' make it clear that this is something deeper than just a gimmicky VR musical. It turns out the show is an allegory for helping people to navigate grief. It's a lovely, warm-hearted idea; there really could be something good here.
Brendan Bradley is a charming and amiable host. I so wanted this to be good for him! He has come to Edinburgh with beautifully designed posters, an obvious passion for his work and the nerve to try something new. But no matter how much I try, I can't get onboard with it. I'm sadly, disappointed.
I hope I caught this new work on a bad night, when the audience were tired and the improv element wasn't at its best. The technology on display is certainly impressive, the songs are good and the performers did their best. But it wasn't enough to detract from the fact that the storyline and environment is not yet engaging enough for those audience members who are spectators rather than participants in the game.
So is Virtual Reality the future of musical theatre? I hope not! But it certainly could have its place, especially in a world where more and more people are unable to, or simply don't want to, venture out of the house and into a crowded theatre. I understand that cost is the prohibitive factor at present - there's a reason why only 4 people in the room were given VR headsets here! But I do love the idea that there could be a choice of how we consume theatre in future - Anything that improves accessibility to the arts is very welcome. Let's see where this goes.
⭐⭐
🎮 Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical plays at Imaginex at YOTEL Edinburgh until 26 August. | jump to listings info here
📸 production photos: Dimitrios Lachanis
Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical - Cast & Creatives
Creator and director Brendan Bradley
Book & Lyrics Brendan Bradley
Music Brendan Bradley and Maurice Soque Jr.
Technical director Michael Morran
Music director and onstage musician Maurice Soque Jr.
UK Company Manager Caron-Jane Lyon
Cast Brendan Bradley
Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical - 2024 Edinburgh dates
Venue: Imaginex at YOTEL Edinburgh
68-73 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 4NA, UK
Dates: 2–26 Aug, 21:00–22:00
Tickets: In person £15 | Digital live stream £15 https://watch.npcmusical.live/
http://go.npcmusical.com/fringe | 0131 356 0912
⌚ Running time: 60 minutes | Suitable for all ages (due to improvised nature of the show, content may vary)
Non-Player Character: A Virtual Reality Musical review, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, Brendan Bradley, Imaginex at YOTEL, ZOO.
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🎟️ Disclosure: I am an Edinburgh Festival Fringe accredited media reviewer and as such I receive complimentary press tickets in exchange for my honest reviews. My reviews and star ratings are always my honest opinions.
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