First Look At Gaming Theatre Experience Bridge Command
Images of the custom-built starship set released as well as some of the professional actors who will join audience members on their adventure through space
Participants will take on different roles of the starship’s crew and work together on a choice of two types of mission
Immersive interactive experience will begin previews this month in London
Bridge Command is the latest experience from leading interactive theatre company Parabolic Theatre
Bridge Command, the new gaming theatre sci-fi experience where participants become the crew of a starship travelling through space, has today released the first images of the set and cast who will join audience members in this immersive interactive adventure.
The shots show the different stations of the ship’s bridge set where crew members will take their places for a choice of two thrilling mission types; Military and Exploration. Both involve starship combat, but the Military Missions focus more on ship-to-ship confrontation whereas the Exploration Missions allow players to delve into the mysteries of space. The spectacular custom built set is fully integrated with bridge simulation software, meaning that whatever takes place in the simulation, from an enemy attack to a ship malfunction, will directly impact the physical set causing systems to break and sparks to fly.
There are also images of some of the cast from the company behind the experience, Parabolic Theatre, who will join the action as various characters the crew will meet on their missions. Audience members will take on different roles from a choice of four teams; Operations who are responsible for the overall running of the ship, Science who focus on navigation and gathering data, Engineering who will look after ship repairs and maintenance, and the Command team who are responsible for leading the crew and making the big decisions with roles including Captain and First Officer.
The experience’s episodic format means participants have the chance to become the stars of their own ongoing sci-fi show where events and decisions from previous missions will be remembered and influence the content of return visits. Stand-alone visits are also welcome.
Bridge Command will open at Albert Embankment, Vauxhall, South West London with preview performances beginning at the end of this month. From April, there will be between six and ten performances each day from Monday - Thursday and eight and fourteen per day from Friday - Sunday. These will ramp up in May and June with between eight and fourteen performances throughout the week, with further dates and times for the rest of 2024 to be announced soon.
Owen Kingston, Artistic Director of Parabolic Theatre said: “This is a truly unique project that has been years in the making. It is a remarkable blend of immersive performance, interactive storytelling and gaming technology, and there really is nothing else out there quite like it. We are extremely excited to finally share it with the world.”.
Parabolic Theatre has been at the forefront of fringe interactive experiences since 2016. The work they make is beyond mere immersive spectacle and aims to explore the social and political issues of the age, in creative and historically connected ways. Parabolic shows are highly interactive and responsive to audiences that choose to participate. They believe that audience agency is at the heart of what makes an experience immersive, and so they always try to offer the freedom to actively explore and contribute – interacting with the space, the performers and other audience members. Parabolic’s audiences do not merely share the same physical space as the performers, they occupy the same narrative world, and have the capacity to influence the story and its outcomes. Led by Artistic Director Owen Kingston, Parabolic welcomes a variety of artistic associates to collaborate on shows and events, as writers, directors, designers, game masters and performers.
Listings information
63 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TY
Previews 27th March - 21st April, 2-14 shows a day from 2pm on weekdays and 12.15pm on weekends with tickets starting at £40
From 22nd April, 8-14 shows a day from 3.45pm on weekdays and 10am on weekends with tickets starting at £40. bridgecommand.space
