Shay Mace
You realise we’re not in for a typical theatre experience before even entering the Amalia Theatre – we’re told to leave our bags on our seats, and walk straight to the stage. We have found ourselves in a neon-lit dreamscape, a virtual world where the audience is invited to engage with four Non-Player Characters stood behind pulsating rings of light, and where battle is about to commence. Bulgarian Dance Theatre company Karakashyan & Artists offer the most thrilling, absorbing, and form-breaking opportunity to engage with the virtual world, that boots open questions about AI, influencers, desire, control and more over an electrifying hour.
We’re given 5 coins to spend over the night, as we drift between each character and are offered the opportunity to spend our currency to engage them in conversations. Each is a distinct, unique entity with a personality that appears to either have been programmed or captured by this world’s creator. One, a flirtatious content creator looking to craft the perfect digital date, another a crypto-influencer trying to sign us up to their get-rich-quick scheme, opposite, a virtual oracle who offers insights to our souls, and finally, a motivational girlboss there to hype us up and make us each a ‘winner’.
These interactions are interspersed by dramatic choreographed battle sequences, in which we are handed the reins to decide which of our NPCs will survive. Control is gifted to us, seemingly, in the democratic mode, but before long, the characters offer glimpses that not all is as clear-cut as it seems. Certain audience members are given their own personal quests, which allegedly offer alternate endings to the piece. All of this excitement and engagement forges an exhilarating atmosphere, that entertains as much as it intrigues.
Characterisation from all of the performers is utterly engrossing, as they robotically sway, swagger, flaunt and eventually, falter to the ground as the dust of the battle settles. Every detail is perfectly realised, with nostalgic references to Mortal Kombat, glitchy video game graphics, and the giddy childlike joy of entering an arcade delivered with synchronicity, style, and verve. Each character even has their own real Instagram account, giving this concept so much replay-ability. If it runs multiple nights in one place, you’ll no doubt find yourself running back to it, for another dose where much of the piece radically changes.
Each performer is given their moment in the sun, as they take centre stage and invite an audience member to partake in a cut-scene and sink deeper into this world. Director Kosta Karakashyan offers a vivid realisation of the addictive nature of technology, the gamification of our lives, the digitisation of our presence, and how we both influence and are influenced by our relationship to technology.
A mammoth team is involved in the creation, curation, and maintenance of this captivating world, including game design consultant Alexander Torofiev, costume and make-up designers The Trackers, and the fact that each of the performers themselves contributed to the choreography process. All of its elements work together in unflinching synchronicity, with lighting design from Sava Kisiov pulsating to the hypnotic techno beats of composer and sound designer Martina Stefanova. It is utterly immersive, utterly entrancing, vivid, and seamless.
It’s performances like these that get you excited about the future of theatre – a true melting pot of multimedia, dance, physical theatre and characterisation that delivers on every wild promise it sets out to make.
Recommended Drink: Pair this with your favourite pixelated pint. Performances of INSERT COIN / PLAYER ONE have now concluded at Thessaloniki Fringe 2026. Keep up with the show’s future touring dates on Instagram.
