The Performance Corporation's Emperor 101 serves VR-theatre fusion, April 20 to 23

Immersive virtual reality work is part of Boca del Lupo’s riveting LivePerformance360 series

SPONSORED POST BY Boca del Lupo

Emperor 101.

Vancouver’s Boca del Lupo is presenting the ground-breaking production Emperor 101 by Dublin’s The Performance Corporation, at the cutting edge of an emerging crossover between theatre and virtual reality.

The work will be shown from April 20 to 23 at The Fishbowl on Granville Island, with multiple sessions available throughout the early afternoon on each day until 3 pm.

Emperor 101, the first event in Boca del Lupo’s LivePerformance360 series, immerses viewers in an alternate world that reflects the mind and motivations of a conspiracy theorist.

Audience members will be given headsets at The Fishbowl so they can watch actors performing all the way from Ireland in virtual reality. On April 20 and 21, there will also be 12 pm performances available for viewing anywhere in the world via remote personal access, for people who already have a VR headset in their home.

In a time when the very notion of truth or facts is called into question, Emperor 101’s innovative use of virtual reality reflects the multiple mindsets we live in. The piece directed by Jo Mangan and scripted by Tom Swift riffs on influences from ancient mythology to Alice in Wonderland, and asks if rejection of the mainstream is a product of fear, or the ultimate act of self-empowerment in a complex world.

Viewers will be led through a series of environments in virtual reality, and experience live interaction with performer avatars played by actors Caitríona Ní Mhurchú and Karl Quinn. The scenario will explore the inner life of a high profile conspiracy theorist as she struggles with a personal tragedy that has turned the world upside down.

Emperor 101 is put together with immersive media studio RETinIZE, with the help of VR producer Camille Donegan, and designers Leon Butler and Peter Power.

Three more events in Boca del Lupo’s 2023 LivePerformance360 series will be shown from May to July, with more details coming soon.

Curated by Boca del Lupo’s artistic director Sherry J. Yoon, the series features the most exciting artistic experiments in Canada and internationally using immersive technologies connected to live performance.

Tickets to experience Emperor 101 either at The Fishbowl or at home, along with more information, can be found at Boca Del Lupo.

Post sponsored by Boca del Lupo.