ABOUT THE SHOW

Prepare to embark on an extraordinary adventure that merges the rich history of Ancient Egypt with the captivating allure of Star Wars in Aionos, a groundbreaking mixed-reality production. This unique theatrical experience will transport audiences across time, space, and the metaverse. This experience is created by Toasterlab based on a concept by Debbie Deer Productions and consulting by renowned immersive actor/director/designer Ari Tarr. The IRL performance of Aionos will perform daily except Mondays in ZOO’s Playground at the Old High School at 13:05. A limited number of tickets to experience the work from within the show’s VR world, and an unlimited number of streaming tickets allow audiences from around the world to participate in a hybrid theatrical experience.

Aionos invites audiences to delve into a world where they play an integral role in helping an Egyptian queen heal a broken love and navigate through the fabric of spacetime to recover an ancient artefact to get home... or to the beyond. Blending virtual reality, streaming, and in-person elements, this decolonial futurisms experiment promises an unforgettable journey that bridges the past, present, and future. Through Aionos, audiences will witness the convergence of ancient history and futuristic realms, where the wonders of Ancient Egypt intertwine with the vastness of space. This mixed-reality production will offer an unique level of immersion, where participants can interact with the story, characters, and virtual environments.

Audiences coming to ZOO Playground for the IRL experience require no special preparation and can enjoy the show as part of their packed Fringe calendar. Those attending remotely via live stream will be provided with instructions after booking on how to access the stream from the device of their choice. VR attendees be on-boarded and provided with clear direction and support to join the show on their own Quest 2 headset using a free app.

For those in Edinburgh or Toronto who don’t have their own headset, the Aionos team can provide access to one to maximize access for all those curious. Audiences are encouraged to book tickets as early as possible for online options to allow the Aionos team to prepare you to fully engage with the experience.

What to EXpECT

In Aionos Set, ancient Egyptian god of chaos, mixes things up to get the views up for the daily livestream of Anubis, god of death, but trying to get some fresh young faces to go through the Trials of Arru to see if they're worthy to pass onto the afterlife for the entertainment of a pan-pantheon of deities.

Aionos is not just a new show, but it's a new way of working. The show involves cast on two continents working to create an experience for people in-person, an interactive online experience on a Discord server, an immersive online experience in VR using Flipside Studio, and streaming for those who prefer just to watch from afar... all at the same time. Most of the time everything works!

Are you a gamer or follow some on twitch or YouTube and appreciate play throughs? A fan of the recent Moon Knight TV series? Interested in what we'll retain from our online years of pandemic theatre? A budding Egyptologist who enjoys a farce? All of these would indicate Aionos is probably for you!

RESEARCH

We've partnered with York University in Toronto to research what audiences think about this hybrid approach. The purpose of this research is to compare experiences of audience comfort in the viewing of hybrid theatrical productions which make concurrent use of meditate viewing options, consisting of virtual reality and online screen-based streaming, in addition to its in-person presentation. Through the surveying of attendees at these performances, we look to understand how audience members at hybrid events experience the different presentation modes.

Three Ways to

See the show

Aionos will be presented as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Aug 4 - 27, 13:05 every day but Monday at ZOO Playground and online

CAST aNd CREW

EDINBURGH/IN-PERSON CAST

Anubis /// Shaharah Gaznabbi

Set(h) /// Milton Lopez Marhemberg

Thoth /// Dave Harack

Azizi /// Lawrencia Effiah

EDINBURGH CREW

Stage Manager /// Sophia Katzell

VR Director /// Lawrencia Effiah

Stream/VR Manager + ASM /// Tyler Graham

Developer/Digital Artist + ASM /// Jacob Loat

Video/Sound Design /// Ian Garrett

Technical Supervison / Lighting /// Gavin McDonald

Creative Consultants /// Debbie Deer, Ari Tarr

TORONTO/VR CAST

Hatshepsut /// Aisha Lesley Bentham

Flight Attendant /// Derek Manderson

Tourists /// Emma Ly, Atrin Moayeri, Sirene Qureshi

DISCORD CAST

Anubot /// Derek Manderson

Sethboth /// Jacob Loat

TORONTO CREW

Technical Manager /// Garshab Siassi

ASMs /// Priscila Gonzalez. Derek Manderson

Creative Consultants /// Debbie Deer, Ari Tarr

Special Thanks /// David Jansen

Our Partners