On Friday evening, O N C A is presenting as part of Brighton Digital Festival, the first live performance of the audio drama: The Saga of the European King. The festival is a monthly long event happening around Brighton that celebrates digital technology and explores how it shapes our lives. As well as this live production, events include ‘Remix the Museum’ Gif competition at the Brighton Museum & Gallery and Natasha Caruana’s immersive virtual reality film at Edward Street Gallery.
After five years of producing all their content online, Tom McNally alongside Joshua Crisp, Amy Sutton and Ben Edwards will enact their multiple characters on stage in front of an audience. The comedy follows a Medieval king whose objective is to destroy Winter. From battling his nemesis Terrorthaw, losing his phone, talking about academia, flying rocket ships and confronting exes, this fantasy is a rightly self-acclaimed “wild, strange ride”. The anachronistic mismatch of medieval folklore with modern technology is as striking as the intertwined narration and audio animations of the story. Despite such seemingly chaotically mixed ideas, the storyline results in a clever postmodern commentary for today’s most pertinent social issues.
This production will encompass the finale of their current season: “Book Two – The New World is Exciting, Dangerous”. However, it is assured that newcomers will easily be able to enjoy the show regardless. Each episode ranges from a 5 to 25 minute audio track online and although they follow a plotline, they can be appreciated individually in no set order. In addition to the live show, O N C A will be hosting a weekend long art exhibition showcasing illustrations that accompany each episode online. These have been made “flesh for the first time” as the Brighton Digital Festival website points out. The event assures to be an evening packed with unique audio-visual forms that use comedy and fantasy to comment on saturated social topics.
The live performance is at O N C A Gallery on Friday 6 October 7.30pm – 10pm.
Tickets: £5
The illustration exhibition is also at the gallery on Saturday 7 October 12 – 6pm and Sunday 8 October 12 – 4pm.
Featured Image: Tom McNally
