What I liked
As someone attending the performance via livestream, I was immediately engaged by the use of on-person cameras that provide an intimate view of the characters and the actors embodying them. It’s fitting for the sci-fi setting, particularly regarding the themes of privacy and access, and is immersive from the opening scene to the closing monologue. You feel connected to the characters through viewpoints usually reserved for the cinema, and watching the show on a screen becomes its own unique experience. I’m not sure if the camera feeds were visible to in-person audience as well, but they certainly make the production stand out.
What I didn't like
Obviously, there’s technological limitations given the venue and what the script requires. As someone who’s worked with A/V tech, I applaud the cast and crew for navigating through the creative process with these added production challenges.
From the livestream perspective, there was some disconnect between the camera angles and blocking, where characters would occasionally move out of frame. This can be easily addressed with the cam operation. Also, and this may be beyond the scope of the venue, but having actors’ mics patched through to the video feed would be beneficial in the future, as it’s sometimes hard to hear the dialogue. That is all to say, the show is worth seeing in-person if you can.
My overall impression
The cast of VICE successfully brings a giant sci-fi dystopia to life in an intimate black box theatre. A wide range of characters provides different perspectives on this not-so-distant future and eagerly invites us into a dark, oddly disconnected world of biotechnology. Immersion is challenging in sci-fi as a whole, but this production always makes the setting feel inhabited and grounded in the lives of its characters.
