Ian McKellen to Star in UK Premiere of Mixed Reality Play An Ark, but Not in Person

The play had its debut in New York earlier this year. It is billed as a 47-minute exploration of life and death, during which actors share stories about life to make it seem as if they are right before the viewer, offering what the production calls an intimate reimagining of live theatre. The actors share stories about how humans grow, connect and grieve over a life.

John McGrath, chief executive of Factory International, which is putting on the play, explained the technology. He said mixed reality is when you see both the virtual elements of an experience and the real world around you. It differs from virtual reality, he said, because instead of putting on goggles that exclude the physical reality you are in, the glasses project into the space while also showing the real world.

Asked whether McKellen would have any physical role, McGrath said: “His virtual presence will be there. He may well come and visit the play but you won’t see the real Ian McKellen performing.” He said audiences would be satisfied to pay to attend a play where the actors were not there in the flesh. “When people go to see a film, you don’t spend time explaining the lead actors in the film won’t be in the cinema. This is no different,” he said.

Four actors, including McKellen, were filmed by 52 cameras in one take at a studio in the French city of Grenoble. They appear seated just before the viewer as if they are putting on a private show. McGrath said that for the actors, the experience is far closer to being in a film than being on stage, and it is one for actors who enjoy a new challenge.

McGrath said mixed reality plays offer benefits beyond the excitement of seeing performers live. “What you get is the intimacy with the actors, so you feel like they are sitting in front of you and talking directly to you,” he said. He said this created a “very touching personal experience.” The theatre plans to hold public events to explore the future and ethics of this technology.

Factory’s programme for 2027 celebrates 20 years of the organisation. It includes a special production of Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach. McGrath said it would be one of the biggest opera performances anywhere in the year, marking Glass’s 90th birthday year and the first full new production of the work in 50 years. He said it would allow audiences to experience the score in a large warehouse in a way very different from an opera they would usually see.

He added that most of the work in the programme is either a world premiere or a UK premiere and has been co-produced by Factory International.

Editor's Summary

Ian McKellen will appear in the UK premiere of An Ark, a mixed reality play at Manchester’s Aviva Studios, without performing physically on stage. The production, first staged in New York, uses smart glasses to project filmed actors into the room. Factory International’s 2027 programme also includes a new production of Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach.