An Ark (Manchester)
This groundbreaking Mixed Reality play brings you face-to-face with extraordinary performances from Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene and Rosie Sheehy – in a visceral exploration of what it means to be human
When does a story become theatre? Is it when the actors step on to the stage? What if the actors are with you, but not with you? AN ARK is the world’s first Mixed Reality play – a journey through sex, love, death, work and everything that makes a life, addressed directly to you. Through Mixed Reality glasses, experience theatre like you’ve never seen it before: up-close, intimate and with unflinching eye contact, creating an impossibly close connection between actor and audience. This new form of theatre places you at the heart of a deeply personal exploration of what it means to live, to grieve and to connect. Captured in a single take, this one-of-a-kind theatrical encounter features extraordinary performances from Ian McKellen (King Lear, Hamlet, Lord of the Rings), Golda Rosheuvel (Not Your Superwoman, Bridgerton), Arinzé Kene (Misty, Get Up, Stand Up!) and Rosie Sheehy (Guess How Much I Love You, Machinal). Mixed Reality pioneer Todd Eckert returns to Manchester after a sold-out run of KAGAMI – a groundbreaking Mixed Reality concert with Ryuichi Sakamoto – at MIF23. For AN ARK, he collaborates with Tony Award–winning writer Simon Stephens (Vanya, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and critically acclaimed director Sarah Frankcom (The Nico Project, Robin/Red/Breast). Following its extended run at The Shed in New York, AN ARK makes its European debut at Aviva Studios.
Organizer
Factory InternationalVenue
Aviva Studios
Category
Virtual and Mixed RealityTag
TheatreStart date
March 27th, 2027
End date
April 10th, 2027
Audience Role
The actors will not be present; audiences view the entirety of the play through mixed reality glasses.
Ages: 14 +
Content Advisories
Interaction Advisories
Mobility Advisories
Tags
3
Events
4
Years on EI
About Factory International
Welcome to Factory International. Here, art gets turned inside out by world-renowned figures together with Manchester’s rising stars. Whether it’s music, dance, an exhibition, performance or a new combination – expect a twist on the familiar or a leap into the unknown. After all, this is Manchester – a city with a history of innovation that's hard to beat. You’ll find people collaborating in and around our venue – mixing disciplines and blurring boundaries to produce intimate concerts, digital experiences and unforgettable shows all year round. But we're so much more than our building. We run Manchester International Festival (MIF) — the festival of brand new artistic work, known world-over, that has animated and captivated our city since 2007. We’re also training the creative workforce of the future through the Factory Academy, supporting artists to realise their potential, and working with local communities to build our programme. But we don’t stop at Manchester – we take our work to partner venues and festivals all around the world and create extraordinary digital experiences – inviting everyone to play in our virtual world.