Actors in remote theatres
One example is a theatre in the southern part of Stockholm, Riksteatern in Hallunda, and a theatre in northern Sweden, Härnösandsteatern. Both theatres were connected to perform a joint play, ”Fordringsägare” by Swedish author August Strindberg, through a fiber network based on Net Insight’s Nimbra platform.
The pilot was initiated by Digitala Verktyg (Digital Tools) and in cooperation with Riksteatern, Fiber Optic Valley and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
Two disparate scenes in both theatres created one common interactive scene with large screens so that both the actors and the audiences in the theatres could see each other and collaborate.
The pilot was a success from a technical perspective with live audio and video as well as from a human perspective as the actors and the audience embraced the new way to perform and watch a play. It adds a different dimension to professional dramatics in this remote and interactive way, making it a fun and innovative viewing experience.
Net Insight supplied the media switch router (MSR) Nimbra 680 and its 8-port AES/EBU Access Module for MADI audio signals as well as its 8-port HD-SDI Access Module for HD-SDI video signals for the pilot.
Mats Erixon, Media systems Specialist, Advanced Media Technology, at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, is one of the driving forces behind this and many other pilots aiming to connect people through fiber networks.
"I wish that everyone would be able to live, work and be entertained in whatever part of Sweden they want and using fiber connection is one way of making that happen. This pilot shows that we have taken another step in that direction."
Remote but still personal meetings
A similar test was made earlier this year with another theatre in Sweden where Net Insight also supplied Nimbra equipment. Dalateatern in the city of Falun performed the play ”Natten är dagens mor” by Lars Norén, with audience in the theatre as well as in two other locations in Smedjebacken and Särna. The actors could watch the audiences in the different locations and hear the audiences and their applause. Before the play and during the breaks, the audience could talk to each other in the foyer through large Meeters, conference units with perfect eye contact.
"It was like opening a big window to the other locations, with eye contact between the actors and the audience. A remote meeting, but yet personal."
Watching live theatre in distant locations transmitted from a another theatre is not new but the big difference with these two examples is the human interconnectivity. This opens up endless possibilities for people living in rural areas to access the same entertainment found in big cities.
"I am convinced that we will see more activities similar to this in the near future, not only for theatres but for many other purposes," says Mats Erixon.
Photo: Johan Hellström