Night Scene

Photo: Bernd Uhlig

Theatrical installation and animation of a nightclub. A woman traveller walks into a bar and an evening of strange, intoxicated events begin.

This performance takes place in a nightclub. A woman is travelling across Europe and comes into the bar in search of a last adventure before going home. During the Black Sea tour the show was presented as a “table-side” promenade piece, with small intimate scenes involving a few members of the audience at one time. A film is being made in the club and a director is in control of the action. The audience become extras in his film, helping the actors rehearse or even acting as “stand-ins” and witness yet another story unfolding behind the cameras. When the film is screened at the end of the night, the mysteries are solved and yet another mystery is revealed.

Metro Boulot Dodo re-made the piece for the North Sea tour in which the director speaks directly to the audience through his camera and acts like a puppet master, persuading and sometimes forcing his actor (and the audience) into different behaviour in search of the final cut for the film.  The final films from each place are available on YouTube (see link below.)  Metro Boulot Dodo are now touring the work independently of SEAS.

Concept: Esther Simpson, Paul Long, Steve Gibbs, David Parkin
Performers: Esther Simpson, Paul Simms, Steve Gibbs, David Parkin, Tom Adams and a cameraman
Music: Steve Gibbs
Duration: approximately 120 minutes

MBD – SEAS Project on You Tube

A highly interactive evening

During each performance and in only 120 minutes Metro-Boulot-Dodo shot, edited and premiered a 10-minute film made in the club with the nightclub guests as actors and extras. The club space was also animated by ”virtual performers”, videos of dancers and cabaret artists which flickered on walls and which could be called up by the audience using an innovative bar-code scanner.

A DJ  (Steve Gibbs) supplied a live soundtrack throughout the show and as the two lead actors ”find their marks” and an erratic director moved the audience members into shot and raced against the clock to capture the action and finish the film. The club space was also filled with subtle installation itesm such as beer mats and flyers for imaginary events and disco nights that referred to the action of the film. The audience/participants did not know what the eventual film story would consist of and watched as the couple laughed, chatted and tangoed and involved the audience in the performance. As the night drew to a close and the young woman was lead away to the sea the film was shown.

Site specific to the venue and the town

Designed as an interactive yet relaxed event for nightclubs and bars, NightScene was site specific not only to the venue but the town, and required a few days of location filming around the area before the night. The audience was encouraged to get involved but was also welcome just to chat, relax and enjoy the music and visuals. As Metro Boulot Dodo were dated with Wunderbaum during their SEAS Dates, the two groups decided to both base their shows in a club and in several places on tour the two shows ran together with NightScene providing the frame for the entire evening and Wunderbaum’s shorter Beer Tourist performed at the bar.

Night Scene by Metro-Boulot-Dod