Locus Solus was created during a research and development residency at the Pervasive Media Centre (Watershed) in Bristol in 2020, looking at a combined digital theatre production. Collaborators during the research phase included Nicolo Carpignoli, Roy Williams, Kinicho and Pervasive Media Studio.

 

Locus Solus is a new adaptation of Raymond Roussel’s 1919 novel. In the novel an invited group of colleagues are guided around the deeply surreal country estate of scientist and inventor Martial Canterel. We encounter labyrinthine stories, within stories, within stories, as the group are introduced to Canterel’s fantastical inventions – an aerial weather driven pile driver constructing a mosaic of human teeth; a hairless cat stimulating the decomposing head of Georges Danton into flights oratory; eight glass cages containing dead people re-enacting important moments from their lives, whom Canterel has revived with ‘resurrectine’.

 

The invited audiences created their own Roblox avatars in order to experience and take part in this promenade theatre piece.

 

The audience and actors joined Locus Solus on Roblox, with Mdm_Narrator leading the audience through a series of environments where they interacted with the actors. They dived through a giant bubble; raced along a glass bridge to the music of Sandy Nuttgens; collected teeth and floated in hot air balloons, encountering ‘The Rotting Head of Danton’ (played by Simon Munnery); and watched new writing by Roy Williams being performed by the actor/avatars within the surreal landscape.