A new roaming theatre production is taking the public through the gritty, eccentric, so-grungy-it’s-cool back alleys of Gastown to offer a glimpse into the lives of millennials in Vancouver.
Described as “an interactive experience” by the show’s creators, siblings Nick and Darby Steeves, Surreal is based on the duo’s own experiences. The play explores what life is like for 20-somethings living in Vancouver and relies on audience participation to progress the story.
“We wanted to strip away societal pressures while giving the audience that emotional proximity,” said Nick, who also serves as co-director and producer of Surreal. “When you go to a theatre to watch a traditional play, you’re so close your neck is cranked back or you’re watching these actors from such a far distance. We wanted to take that gap away and bring people face-to-face with us.”
The show begins at a secret meeting place and winds through a one-kilometre route through Gastown. The characters, Tom and Charlie, interact directly with the audience. “They play a sort of subconscious,” said Darby, who also co-directs and plays the role of Charlie.
Although Darby has theatre experience, Surreal marks her brother Nick’s first foray as a playwright. “But you wouldn’t know it,” she said. “Since Nick’s experience lies with business and mine is in theatre, it’s been a seamless transition for us. We just balance each other out.”
Nick was inspired by New York’s Sleep No More, an interactive performance he and his sister attended last year. “You’re in a huge warehouse and there are actors all around you and you walk among them,” Nick said. “We basically took that concept but made it a little more intimate and engaging.”
Nick says his main goal for the play is for the audience to feel invested in the characters. “By involving the people in Tom and Charlie’s lives, we hope that by the end of it, they’ll really actually care.”
Starting a small, independent theatre company in a big city, Nick realized theatre isn’t as big in Vancouver as he thought. “Everyone’s all about food,” he said with a laugh.
Co-writing and producing also gave Nick an artistic outlet, vastly different than the work he does for his day job as chief product officer at Wishpond, a tech company that helps its clients with marketing. “It’s also given me a chance to spend more time with my sister,” said Nick, who has seven years on his creative partner. “Since we have such a large age gap, we never had a project to work on together, now we do.”
Tickets for Surreal can be purchased at surrealtheatre.com. Shows run June 28 to Sept. 30 every Tuesday and Friday.
