Following their five-star, sold-out hit Lessons on Revolution, Carmen Collective returns with Gameplay, an audio-described myth for the end times that races from history into the far future. This powerful shot of experimental performance delivers a compelling, multi-layered theatrical ride.
Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
Sam: GAMEPLAY is an audio-described myth for the end times. What this means in practice is that the show is for both sighted and partially-sighted audiences; the form of the piece deploys integrated audio description, this means lots of different things depending on the context, but in our piece everything is described through the text as it happens. It’s a show about imagination and as such refuses to privilege sight as the main method of meaning-making.
The show began as a response to the fact that just over a year ago the Prime Minister declared that the UK is now on a war footing. The premise of GAMEPLAY is actually quite simple. You (the audience) have come to the theatre to see a show. Alongside you is a Daily Mail theatre critic wondering what all this is about. What you don’t know is that this is the last show that you will ever see, because while you are in the theatre an emergency is declared. In the moment between the silence and the bomb, we consider what it means to be a citizen in the imperial core in 2026; a central character that we deal with in the performance is Vasili Arkhipov, a Soviet naval officer who saved the world from the brink of disaster during the Cuban missile crisis. Through considering Vasili, we unpack what it means to say no in the face of what seems like inevitable catastrophe. The show is produced in partnership with Pleasance and Camden People’s Theatre and we are so honoured to have their support.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
Sam: I wrote the text and perform it alongside my co-creator AJ Turner, a sound artist who performs a live score throughout the piece. We both worked in a highly collaborative way alongside our creative producer Ella Dale across a year to find the right language for the work. Alongside this, we have worked closely with audio describers Roz Chalmers (MBE) and Part of the Main, and Sam Brewer as an access dramaturg. Throughout, AD of Camden People’s Theatre Rio Matchett has provided dramaturgical support. Although the piece only has one spoken voice, it is the culmination of multiple minds working together.
The show began as a commission by CPT as part of their Starting Blocks scheme, an incredible space for artists to develop their new work. Without drawing an equivalence with myself, it was amazing to be a part of a programme with alumni like Louise Orwin, PISS/Carnation, Rachel Mars and Adam Lenson, all artists who I look up to a great deal.
How does it feel coming to (back to) the Fringe?
Sam: The Fringe is obviously a physically and spiritually daunting place. We have all been lucky to experience relative success at the festival in the past but even in the best of times it is undoubtedly a very intense place to spend a month. What I feel heartened by is how aligned we all are about our goals. We know why we’re there and we know what we want to say. This will be GAMEPLAY’s public debut, and unfurling this weird little piece and showing it to the world at Edinburgh with such amazing support from Pleasance and CPT is an honour.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
Sam: For a start, we’re one of a literal handful (as in count them on one hand) of shows with provision for partially sighted audiences. On top of this, we’re very aware that Fringe-goers see a million shows in a day. We think that this one will make you stop for a moment. In a festival of noise and chaos, GAMEPLAY pauses for a breath and takes things down to the barebones: what exactly are we all doing here in this room? We’re trying to create a world, for one hour every day, where people can come back to themselves a bit, to take stock, and to (hopefully) move forward with a different perspective as they rush to the next performance they have booked in.
On that, is there anything in the production or production team’s backgrounds which influences the way the show is performed or told?
AJ: Performing the scores I’ve composed for theatre live has been a central part of my practice for the past decade, and the liveness of the sound in GAMEPLAY is really essential to the show. The role of music in GAMEPLAY isn’t gig-theatre as such, it’s more of a cinematic score that creates so many arcs in the journey of the experience. It also allows us to play off each other in such a dynamic way, and it gives sound a living, breathing presence onstage that I think you can really feel. A big part of GAMEPLAY looks at what it is to be together in the theatre, and that breathing presence feels super important to it.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
AJ: There’s definitely a lot of darkness within the show and what we’re exploring, but ultimately I think the light within the show is what I want the audience to take away when they leave us, and the music really leads the audience here too. The journey of the show takes us to this place of hope, of imagining different futures and different possibilities with us all together in the theatre, and I think that sense of imagination is so important, particularly right now in the world. For us to get to a different future we need to be able to imagine it.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
AJ: Ex Daily Mail theatre critic Quentin Letts firstly. Which will make sense when you see the show. Critics from binfire right wing papers aside, I’d really like people to come with an openness to imagination. We’ve centred the experience of this show around this, particularly as audio description is fully integrated. We’re not just describing actions onstage, the entire language of GAMEPLAY is imagination. What happens onstage visually is extremely minimal, we’re taking our audience on this journey through how the text and music feels and what it can create on its own. This is a more experimental approach than you might find in live theatre more generally, and I think it’s one of the reasons this show feels so exciting for us. GAMEPLAY isn’t just about what’s happening in the theatre, it’s taking us and our audience outside it.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
Sam: We’re very lucky to have a house together as a core team where we can spend time unwinding. With space at such a premium I know a lot of artists don’t get that. In terms of recommendations, I’d like to give a shoutout to James Rowland, the master of doing a lot with a little and one of the best storytellers we have at the moment. He is almost certain to sell out so take my advice and book for him ASAP. Please also take a punt on an emerging artist; I remember coming to the Fringe for the first time with trembling knees and nothing to show for myself, and I am forever grateful for everyone who took a chance on me then.
GAMEPLAY will run at Venue 23, 10 Dome at Pleasance Dome
Runs: August 5th – August 31st at 15.25pm
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