New platform to allow audience members to attend stage shows remotely via mixed-reality headsets

A new virtual platform called StagePlay has been announced by Scene Partners, aiming to bring live entertainment to mixed-reality headsets.

StagePlay allows performances to be recorded in stereoscopic 3D and distributed either live or on-demand. The platform is compatible with mixed-reality devices such as Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest, giving audiences the chance to experience live theatre, concerts and other performances remotely.

The project is set to launch with a performance by Blue Man Group, captured earlier this year in the group’s original New York City venue.

According to Scene Partners, the platform will use high-resolution stereoscopic video and spatial audio to recreate the experience of attending a show in person. The company’s intention is to extend the reach of live performance and increase accessibility for those unable to attend physical venues.

Scene Partners has developed StagePlay in collaboration with Second Theatre, a Finnish production and technology company founded by Erkki Izarra.

The Blue Man Group performance marks the first US theatrical show to be captured for this format. It continues the group’s history of incorporating technology into its work, and offers remote viewers the chance to experience the production through mixed-reality headsets.

While still in beta stages, a wider release is planned for later this year, with further details expected to follow.

Recent research into the roles of virtual reality in the live entertainment sector, conducted by the University of Suffolk, said that they were of great potential benefit to those with access needs or impairments, or prohibited by cost or distance. However – many also bemoaned the absence of an organic “buzz” or sense of community that live theatre can provide.

A number of arts organisations and venues have also been experimenting with VR experiences over the last decade or so.