Chiasmic Play

Sensing a new kind of theatre

Date of Activity: October 2024 – June 2025
Location: Dundee
Age Range: 18-28

A performer with short hair is dressed in a black padded suit with wires protruding from the back looks up to a bright blue/white light shining above them.
A performer with short hair is dressed in a black padded suit with wires protruding leans in a convoluted position on the floor, face against the ground with one arm up, fingers spread into the air. They are in front of a large screen that shows stars and human like figures made from fire. The image has an intense red glow to it

Full body haptic technology can simulate what it is like to absorb the impact of a rugby tackle or experience the G-force of a Formula 1 car – so what is the potential for live theatre audiences?

Chiasmic Play is an ongoing R&D collaboration between Abertay University and Scottish Youth Theatre that merges live theatre, virtual production and cutting-edge haptic technology.  

Haptic technology was first developed to simulate the sense of touch for the user in a virtual environment through vibrations or electrical pulses. While this sort of technology isn’t particularly new – being used in gaming as early as the 1970s and more recently in medical and aviation training – its use in a theatre context remains in its infancy. 

In this R&D, we questioned how haptic sensations may enhance the experiences of audience members as they witnessed live performance. Using full body Teslasuits and custom-built haptic devices, we tested ways audiences perceived different elements of storytelling; from movement to narration, music to motion capture. The project team of artists, technologists and researchers crafted an original performance that aimed to forge new connections between performers and audiences. The Teslasuits synchronised the feelings of the performers with two audience members, while props such as vibrating beanbags and handheld pads enabled audiences to physically feel shifts in mood and tension in the performance. The electrical impulses audiences experienced through these devices were triggered by different components of the performance, including audio cues, musical instruments and physical movement. 

This performance was then shared at a showcase event at Abertay’s state of the art production studios at Water’s Edge in Dundee, inviting industry experts, theatre practitioners and emerging technology specialists to immerse themselves in an experimental world and respond to the new sensory effects in a piece of theatre. 

Throughout the R&D process we recognised how many limitations as well as exciting new possibilities come with using this sort of technology. While cost and access pose substantial barriers, we took this as an opportunity to creatively respond to these limitations – play with them and push them – to ultimately make new theatre that is more democratic, accessible and impactful for the audiences experiencing it.  

You can watch a short film explaining a bit more about the project below: 

The intersection of theatre and technology is a key interest of Scottish Youth Theatre. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Abertay University and are keen to connect with other practitioners in this field. If this project is of particular interest to you, please feel free to reach out to Digital Media Producer Jamie on jamie@scottishyouththeatre.org. 

Watch this space… 

A performer with short hair is dressed in a black padded suit with wires protruding from the back and hip. They are seated, with one arm on the ground and one arm reaching into the sky. There is a strong orange glow in the image

“It made me think about the possibilities of listening to music or watching performance and ‘feeling’ the emotion of it. Really special.”

Audience member

“Seeing, hearing and feeling the movement in the space translate to varying senses was amazing!

The connection i instantly felt with the action and reaction of the performers made me, as an audience member, feel much more involved in the experience.”

Audience member
A performer with short hair is dressed in a black padded suit with wires protruding from the back and hip. They face the audience and hold their hands out in front of them, where they are met by another set of hands. Another performer stands in the back holding a guitar, watching intently. There is a strong blue hue to the image.
Creative Team

Lead Artist – Leonie Rae Gasson
Performer – Cieran Low
Performer – Rory Agnew
Co-Project Lead & Technologist – Naman Merchant
Co-Project Lead & Producer – Jamie Steedman
Jung In Jung – Lead Researcher; Haptic & Sound Designer
Ecem Ince – User Experience Researcher
Haocheng Yang – Virtual Production Specialist
Andrea Szymkowiak – UX Supervisor
Josie Morrison Young – Photographer
Blair Dingwall – Videographer & Photographer

In partnership with

Abertay University

SUPPORTED BY

XR Network+

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