DOUBLE: A Darkfield Radio Experience

Sit at your kitchen table, opposite your partner. Follow the instructions prompted by the audio.

Such a simple premise but be prepared for your mind to go into overdrive as the superbly crafted soundscape envelopes you and paranoia unavoidably sets in. DOUBLE is Darkfield Radio’s premiere broadcast and is presented by a company well-known for employing clever, considered use of sound to activate the senses and tap into the complexities of the human psyche.

The guts of this immersive production explores the Capgras delusion, a condition in which you believe your loved one has been replaced by a duplicate but one with more sinister intentions. This is where doing this with a partner really enhances the experience, giving it another layer of realism.

There’s something quite unsettling about being at ease in the safety of your own home one moment then feeling completely on edge the next. You hear footsteps approaching behind you; though your head tells you it’s not real, you find yourself succumbing to what you are hearing and you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand.

This is what this work does so effortlessly – it engages with your subconscious and your mind starts to play tricks on you. The audio design has been remarkably devised and is second to none, luring you in to easily suspend your disbelief and be convinced of the ominous goings on around you.

Realscape Productions’ DOUBLE is hair-raisingly chilling, genuinely unnerving and a brilliant fusion of theatre and virtual reality. In a time where staying at home and self-isolating is more the new normal, this is the next best thing to collectively experiencing a theatrical event.

DOUBLE runs from 1-29 September. Access is $10 per person / per access code, book now at darkfield.nz

Watch the trailer here.