Car Park Art? Fuel and the National Theatre present The Roof

emilylouisehardy
Jun 18, 2014
2 min read

By Sophia Longhi

A crunching of gravel sounds as I sense somebody walking up behind me. My ears prickle at the audible, quickened breath of a person with an urgent message to deliver: 'You are the hero.' I am standing in the centre of a city I don't recognise. It is grey, soulless and brutal. Is this what the future looks like? Transported into the body of an avatar, I am thrust into a game. What are the rules? Are there any? With my mind focused only on survival, the voice whispers to me once more. 'You. Deserve. To. Win.' Requardt and Rosenburg's The Roof, presented by Fuel, is a new and innovative production set in an open air car park and promises a unique 3D experience. Feeling more like a participant than a mere viewer, the audience are given headphones to wear from which sound effects, voices and music are played directly into our ears, resulting in a completely personal and individual way to experience theatre. The feeling of being alone is emphasised by the 360 degree panoramic set, designed by Jon Bausor, set designer for the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. We have been here before - when playing Zelda or Tomb Raider or Sonic - but this time we are in it. Our avatar mimics the stiff movements of a computer game character, but with each level we get a little swifter, with a little more expertise. We are new to the game, in fact, the 611th player - so imagine what happens when we come across Player 1... The performers use a mix of free running and contemporary dance to tackle the obstacles (including the baddies) around the perilous arena, which they choreographed in collaboration with Frauke Requardt and David Rosenburg. The music and sound by Dave Price is fantastic and compliments the dazzling and intense high energy of the performance, and also the darker, sombre moments, which remind us that there is a deeper layer to this alternative world, with which we can make comparisons to our own. So, did I win? Did you? That's for you to find out for yourself, Player 612.