DARKFIELD is the talk of the Fringe this year, and their production FLIGHT has been on my radar for a while. Set in a container, simulating an aeroplane experience, FLIGHT immerses you into the scariest flight experience you’ve ever had. Participants don binaural 360 sound headphones before being plunged into complete darkness, relying solely on audio cues to navigate the narrative.
As we walked into the container we were all given boarding passes with assigned seats to ensure you did not have the comfort of sitting next to your loved ones, increasing our pre-existing anxiety. The container was decorated like a real aeroplane, with seats, over head lockers and little port windows. The only thing that took you out of the illusion was the extended leg room – take notes airlines. The set was absolutely incredible and immersed us into the experience immediately. After we took our seats, we were instructed to put on our headphones and read the instruction card.
The surround sound through the earphones is meticulously crafted, plunging you into the eerie environment of this doomed flight. Every creak of the plane and murmur of the passengers contributes to a sense of tension and unease. Combine this with complete darkness, you are forced to engage deeply with the sounds around you, without the comfort of seeing. This setup creates an incredibly immersive and unique experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
The content of the audio performance concerns the cabin crew and pilot as they reveal different problems with the plane, between weather and an unaccounted for passengers. The whole concept of the performance is a metaphor for Schrodinger’s cat, the idea that when a cat is in a box, or in this case when we are inside a plane/ a container, we are both simultaneously dead and alive until we are seen again – every plane crashes until it is seen landing. This correlation is very interesting and I admire their way of adding deeper layers to this experience to cement it as an artistic performance rather than simply a scare experience.
On the other hand, having recently attended their newer performance, ARCADE, it’s evident that FLIGHT could benefit from some updates. ARCADE demonstrated the company’s growth and refinement in creating immersive and eerie experiences that really stick with you. In comparison, FLIGHT left me wanting more, to indulge in the anxiousness of being in that immersive environment. For me, FLIGHT lacked the enhanced scare factor of its successor; which isn’t a bad thing that they’ve clearly improved so highly! That being said, FLIGHT remains a captivating experience.
To elevate FLIGHT, refreshing the content to match the intensity of ARCADE would be beneficial. Experiments with new elements of horror and perhaps updating the audio technology could enhance the experience, making it even more uneasy and immersive for participants.
FLIGHT is a great experience that offers a unique and immersive journey into darkness and suspense. While it may not match the quality of their newer show ARCADE, it still delivers a compelling and chilling adventure. With a bit of freshening up, FLIGHT has the potential to be even more alarming and unforgettable.
FLIGHT is playing Aug 6-26 at varying times in the day @ Pleasance Dome – Potterrow Plaza.
Theatre Scotland 
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