Red Scare Theatre Company is proud to present Farrago Bazaar at the Innermost Gardens in November, an original Immersive theatre production with live action role-play elements. Unlike traditional theatre, you will be right in the middle of the action, and will have the power to shape the direction of the story.

400 years after the collapse of capitalism, the town of Farrago is preparing for its annual festival, where visitors from tribes across the continent will join to share food, stories and ideas. Parents and children are reunited; forbidden lovers search for each other; survivors of capitalism's last stronghold seek refuge. Amongst the six intertwining main narratives, the audience members each play characters from the visiting tribes and are free to shape the story as they see fit.

The culmination of artistic director Cassandra Tse’s PhD work into Immersive theatre and marking 12 years of Red Scare Theatre Company, Farrago Bazaar is the company’s most ambitious work yet, with a cast of twenty performers making up the various tribes of this post-post-apocalyptic world. 

“I wanted to embrace the challenges and excitement of building an entirely new world, and then invite audiences to live in it,” says Tse. “The promise of Immersive theatre is that you can step into a different reality and explore a story from the inside. In Farrago Bazaar, the audience are characters with their own set of goals and allegiances.”

After the success of their previous Immersive show, Before We Slip Beneath the Sea, which toured throughout the North Island earlier this year, Tse wanted to go further and turned to live action role play (larp) for inspiration. Larp is an interactive form of collaborative storytelling in which players take on character roles. In the world of Farrago Bazaar, audiences won't be playing as themselves – they’ll get to choose from a range of characters that belong to the world of Farrago, and act as that character throughout the experience. You’re not purchasing just a ticket but a character to play from the tribes of Tolvil (farmers and craftspeople), the Zan (nomadic warriors), or the Jayer (militant pacificists). Audiences can look through the character profiles when they purchase their tickets to see what role and tribe they’d like to step into.

During the show, audiences can be drawn in to scripted storylines or create their own. As well as exploring the Bazaar – Innermost Gardens, transformed into a bustling market with secrets around every corner – they’ll be treated to a Farragonian feast.

The show marks 12 years of Red Scare Theatre Company with Farrago Bazaar being the 25th production the company has put on. Run by Cassandra Tse (Artistic Director) and Jamie Cain (Associate Director), the two are dedicated to uplifting the work of playwrights and musical theatre writers, with a particular focus on supporting New Zealand playwrights in taking their works from page to stage.

Red Scare has staged countless world premieres of original plays and Aotearoa premieres of international work. We pride ourselves on presenting bold, inspiring productions interpreted by some of Wellington’s finest theatre practitioners.

Farrago Bazaar is a one-day experience with only two performances, on Saturday 22nd November: a matinee at 2pm and an evening show at 7pm. Tickets are available are https://www.redscare.co.nz/farrago-bazaar 

For any media enquiries, please contact Jamie Cain (jamie@redscare.co.nz).