After lockdown, the impact on the arts and entertainment industry has been well documented across the media following the total shutdown of all live venues as a result of the coronavirus restrictions. As theatres remain closed for the foreseeable future, industry professionals are finding increasingly innovative ways to reach out to their audiences at home and support the arts through the difficult road ahead to survive.
The Tron Theatre is currently running a virtual production. Petrichor, a fully online experience will be available until 8th November. Starring Dominic Coffey and Ayesha Fazal, the 30 minute show immerses viewers into life in a grey,dystopian world, where no human interaction is allowed and the daily routine of work, eat, sleep becomes a dreary and monotonous routine.
Trapped in a claustrophobic square box set with a computerised big brother character monitoring their every move and removing the necessity for free thought, two characters make a forbidden connection. The need for human interaction leads the characters to question if there a better life outside the oppressive world they know. More importantly is the strain of the real world worth the escape?
Tickets are available for £6 on the Tron Theatre website and provides you with a link to use on a phone, tablet or laptop to watch the production. The VR headsets are an optional extra which can be posted out to viewers however the show is still able to be enjoyed without this.
To get the best experience, download the You Tube app to access the link and ensure you wear headphones and turn the volume up to full.
Following a long period of lockdown and changing regulations, many avid cosmopolitan city dwellers may identify with the restrictive lifestyle and the desperation to escape depicted within Petrichor.
The modern and edgy choreography will hold your attention throughout. It’s a thought-provoking and entertaining piece of escapism which above all provides a much needed glimmer of hope for the return of the Glasgow theatre world.