On 31 May, IMPAKT will present The Great Idle, a mixed-reality performance by artist Benjamin Pompe. The Great Idle blends live performance with real-time interactive simulation – you can choose whether to experience it online or onsite at IMPAKT [Centre for Media Culture]. Travel to a virtual desert island and playfully explore the theme of storytelling agency in the online world of video games. The protagonist of the story is a solitary character stranded on an island in the middle of a virtual ocean. The island location recalls many a well-known story – from classical mythology to medieval and pagan folklore. Play The Great Idle to explore this evocative setting and piece together its mysteries.

As the player, you control the character’s actions, which an actor performs live in an immersive, hybrid theatrical setting at the IMPAKT Centre. You can also actively participate in the narrative by choosing from a range of prompts that influence the storyline and the character’s environment. Together with other audience members (online and onsite), you become a vital component of the story, adding an element of unpredictability to the performance. The story unfolds in a captivating game of chance, control, action and idleness, involving the live actor, the audience and the virtual world.