Fortnight

We are living in an age of global inter-connectedness – the accessibility of communication-based technology means that we are able to connect with people in all parts of the globe in less time than it would take us to pay a visit to our local shop. One of the results of this proliferation of digital communication is that the boundaries between ‘local’, ‘national’, and ‘international’ are becoming less defined.

Proto-type Theatre were commissioned in 2010 by Theatre Sandbox to develop Fortnight, a performance experience designed to explore and highlight how technology has changed our sense of place, time, and identity. Using pervasive technologies to engage the audience in their surroundings, the project blurred the boundaries between audience member, performer, and player.

The commission developed a performance experience that involved audiences in a unique way: text messages, emails, phone calls, and letters were all used to create a fictional world that encouraged audiences to interact with each other and their surroundings. Part-performance, part-adventure, the project interrogated notions of what ‘local’ means, using Fortnight’s narrative to examine how we understand our sense of place in an increasingly globalised world.

Proto-type Theater is a critically-acclaimed theatre company who incorporate digital technologies into live performance. Formed in 1997, the company have produced work in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, the Netherlands, Scotland, Russia, China, Korea, and England. Some of their works include; Third Person (2010), Through the Wall (2009), Whisper (2007), Invisible Messages (2006), and Apostasy (2005).

The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based in Bristol, and is one of the oldest continually-operating theatres in England. The theatre is home to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Laurence Olivier in 1946, and its alumni features a number of distinguished actors, including Academy Award winners Daniel Day Lewis and Jeremy Irons, and Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite.

Related Links:
Theatre Sandbox
Proto-type Theatre