UK-based company Darkfield returns to the Adelaide Fringe with the Australian premiere of its fifth shipping container Invisible, a fully immersive, multisensory experience, which is sure to rattle your nerves.
Like its predecessors Séance and Flight (also playing at the Adelaide Fringe), Invisible plays out in the darkened confines of a cramped 12-metre shipping container – this one designed to resemble a small, ageing theatre with an elongated stage and two rows of well-worn, almost uncomfortably narrow, chairs. The seating is the show’s only downfall and while space was manageable in the small session I attended; larger groups may find the seating enhances the already claustrophobic feel of the show.
There is 360-degree binaural audio creating a fully immersive, surround sound experience – which, when combined with the impenetrable darkness of the container – challenges your perception of your surroundings. It is easy for your imagination to run wild as your mind desperately tries to create images to accompany what you are hearing. With sounds coming from seemingly every direction, it becomes harder to distinguish between the sounds of your fellow participants and those of the show.
Is there really someone breathing in your ear or are you imagining it? Were those footsteps heading towards you or away from you?
Invisible introduces the audience to the invisible man, a curious individual who promises to teach you how to disappear and encourages you to think about how you would use this new talent.
In the beginning the invisible man seems almost charming; his serious, yet subtly playful voice encourages you to consider the impossible and embrace the opportunities invisibility presents. But as the experience continues, his voice takes on a more menacing tone and the audience can only listen as this unseen individual devolves, taking on an almost psychotic demeanour.
There were times when this reviewer felt herself shrinking in her seat, desperately attempting to get away from a perceived threat heard but not seen, and left feeling feeling vulnerable and exposed in those moments. As a seasoned Darkfield attendee I know those uncomfortable feelings are all part of the experience, but they can be confronting for those not used to Darkfield’s unique style of performance.
Unlike the previous shows that leave you in darkness until the very end, Invisible utilises some strobe light effects and the lights come on prior to the end, so make sure you keep your headphones on until you hear the recorded message indicating the experience is over.
Read: Musical review: Hadestown, Theatre Royal Sydney
As a participant you place a certain level of trust in Darkfield – you are, after all, agreeing to be shut in a dark container – and the company knows how to push the boundaries of that trust to create an unnerving and thought-provoking experience, which will have you on edge.
Produced in Australia by Realscape Productions
Tickets: $25
Invisible: Darkfield plays as part of the Adelaide Fringe until 23 March 2025.
