A night at the theatre is normally a time to switch off and enjoy. Rarely are you encouraged to be involved. However, whenever a show focus on the use of senses (in this case sound) it makes for an interesting and unknown premise. UK / Spanish experimental theatre group ‘Sleepwalk Collective’ have created just that, ‘Psychodrama’. A sound sensory 75-minute journey about imagination, and how the stories we hear in childhood shape our imaginings.
It’s effectively a television show we’re watching. The duo performing (Christopher Brett Bailey and Iara Solano Arana) sit behind tv screens and address us through our headphones as they encourage us to close our eyes and imagine the stories they tell which delve between fiction and reality.
In theory, it seems a clever idea but what seems to be the issue with the sensory side of the performance is the fact that the headphones aspect normally works better when you are either in total darkness or isolated and left completely alone to focus your senses. When you’re sat a few rows away from the actors it seems to ironically take away the connection, you’re so close to them yet so far away from what the Intention of the imagination is. It’s incredibly difficult imagining the described scenario whilst they’re walking around also acting parts out.
