Only sound rules you in pitch-dark in-flight space

It is pitch-dark. Even a slight beam of light fails to make its way through space. Opening your eyes does not make any difference in sensing any hint of a light source. What if someone else interrupts you wearing a headset on in ultimate darkness by starting to talk to you all of a sudden? It may be one of the most spine-chilling environments you have ever come across. This is where your imagination is at play. 　

You can enjoy an immersive audio theater experience titled “Flight” played by Dark Field under the coordination of the Wooran Foundation until April 12. Space inside is designed to remind you of an airplane indoor area. Once you fill out an immigration form and get your flight ticket to be seated, an in-flight announcement says, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board. Thank you for flying with us.” Then, the plane lands off. 　

An audio-type theater experience is not still common in South Korea. Founded in 2016, Dark Field is a British group of theater masters in utilizing cutting-edge sound technology on stage. It has successfully garnered a total of 110,000 audiences over its world tour program. It creates theater experiences where multi-sensory space materializes with the help of sound, vibration, flash and any other stimulus which can work in the dark. The skillful theater group knows how to arouse animal instincts based on which blocked vision makes other sensory organs sensitive. A 40-feet shipping container in the original blueprint was replaced by a whole performance area to create pitch-dark space for this show. The redesigned stage looks like a copy of the inside space of a Boeing jet. 　

David Rosenberg and Glen Neath Dark, both of which double as a producer and art director, created such a sensational audio theater experience that breaks the barriers of performance. In an online video interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Tuesday, they said that their goal is to show that experiences in space-time can differ due to sound only, adding that an experience that you may expect to enjoy at an amusement park will feel like a piece of high-end art.

Right before the performance begins, an oddly chilling announcement says, “Now is the last chance to get off the plane.” If you find yourself reluctant to act, it is too late. You can either keep your headset on until the flight is over or take it off and enjoy feeling darkness and silence. This fits the show’s purpose of realizing two different worlds in the same space-time according to whether sound is at work. Some visitors may be surprised by thundering noise from somewhere else through the headset. The two directors said with laughter that they did not mean only to freak out visitors.

The show continues until April 12 with Tuesday to Thursday not available. Visit the rehearsal room at the Wooran Foundation in Seongdong District, Seoul. The ticket price is 18,000 won. Age under 16 is not allowed.


pep@donga.com