In their production Solaris, game theatre collective komplexbrigade send ten audience members at a time on a mission: they are assigned the task of explaining mysterious events on a distant planet. To do this the visitors take on various roles and contact the crew of the eponymous space station using computers, radio links and printers. And so in a playful way the audience absorbs an increasing amount of information, and must ultimately decide whether the crew members live or die.
cornelius puschke: Your theatre relies on a lively, active audience. This is a significant shift from traditional forms of theatre. Where does the performance begin for you, the involvement?
hannes kapsch: We start with the basic assumption that the people who come to see us wish to take part. That’s why we always announce our work as “interactive game theatre”. People of our generation are used to being able to interact with their environment, and that this environment can respond or react.
puschke: Is it a sort of permission – as opposed to the audience sitting in the dark in silence – to influence the scenery, to use the theatrical tools? Is there an element of emancipation to it?...