This New Year’s Eve, something really special is set to take place in a quaint Balzan villa, and it’s not just the start of the new year. In fact, the national theatre company, Teatru Malta, together with the cast, crew and all its technical teams are currently busy with the final preparations to launch what is set to become a landmark moment in local theatrical history.

Co-creators Sean Buhagiar, Gordon Calleja and Rob Morgan give more details about 1881, the groundbreaking new work by Teatru Malta.

1881 is an immersive theatrical experience which blurs the line between theatre and game, allowing the audience to interact fully with the story and the actors who bring it to life.

1881 is an immersive theatrical experience which blurs the line between theatre and game.

Unlike traditional immersive theatre, which often guides the audience through a fixed sequence of events, 1881 offers a more dynamic, open-ended experience. “The complete agency afforded to the audience is more akin to the experience of a museum rather than that usually associated with any kind of theatre. It’s not a promenade piece,” director and co-writer of 1881 Sean Buhagiar clarifies.

“You are not led by the hand, instead you are free to explore the spaces that intrigue you most. Audiences can choose to interact, roam around, or even abstain or take an observatory role – it is all within the possibilities of 1881,” he explains.

“1881 functions as an ‘open-world environment’, similar to a first-person game. You are stepping into a fictional world that reacts to you. You are not an invisible observer or a fly on the wall - you are part of the story and can affect the outcome,” adds Professor Gordon Calleja, from the Institute of Digital Games at University of Malta, leading game writer and designer, and creator of the world of 1881.

Set in an alternative universe, 1881 unfolds against a dystopian backdrop where the world teeters towards the brink of collapse. But this is no mere doomsday story like we have read in countless books or seen in film; it is an exploration of human choice, identity, and morality, within the context of imminent Armageddon.

“The fact that we are launching on New Year's Eve is no coincidence,” says Buhagiar. “We are well aware that the last night of the year is traditionally a great occasion to party, but it is also a moment of reflection on the achievements of the past year and ambitions of the next. This perhaps has a great deal in common with 1881, which is set in an alternative universe, where the audience is faced with the impending end of the world, and are forced to react to it.”

“So essentially, members of the audience are invited to reflect on this. At the end of the world, who are you? Are you a hedonist, a nihilist, what persona do you choose?” continues Prof Calleja.

“That is why in 1881, audiences are not only invited to witness the story but to actively shape its outcome. The fourth wall is completely demolished, and audiences become characters in the theatrical work themselves,” states Rob Morgan, co-writer and dramaturg for the experience.

Morgan was brought in from the UK for his expertise in immersive theatre and story-telling for games.

Audiences of only 30 at a time are immersed in the imagined world, wearing robes and masks, obtaining a shroud of anonymity and allowing them to engage with the various situations uninhibitedly. As they encounter the different storylines, they are offered a myriad of options/circumstances that challenge their values and instincts.

The fusion of theatre and game is at the heart of 1881. “We wanted to bridge the gap between gaming and theatre which share a considerable overlap of interest. By creating a production that feeds off the two, we want to build new audiences, especially ones that are interested in games, fan fiction and live-action role-playing (LARP). As Malta’s national theatre company, we have a duty to break new ground and push boundaries towards more daring and unexplored spaces,” the director asserts.

Morgan further highlights the unprecedented nature of the production. “This is not just immersive theatre. It introduces gamification, giving the audience free will to determine the narrative’s outcome. While a number of interactive and immersive theatre pieces have been produced around the world, this is possibly a first since it incorporates the element of gaming within the structure. It truly is theatrical history in the making,” the internationally acclaimed dramaturge contends.

Creating such an ambitious production has not been without its challenges on all fronts. “It is a bit like directing seven different plays at once!’ Sean reflects. “Together with each actor, we have worked on endless narrative permutations and possible outcomes that can only be determined by the audiences present on the site-specific work. We have performers from different schools and methods, however they all bring something special to the work, as they immerse themselves fully in this world. The actors and the audiences ultimately are like performers and directors of their own narratives.”

Though certainly not a scary experience, the theatrical production is open to an adult audience, as it explores themes of a mature nature. “At its core, 1881 is a story about human anxieties and choices. The end-of-the-world scenario serves as a stage for existential reflection: Who are you when the future is uncertain? What values guide your actions if tomorrow might never come?” asks Morgan.

1881 also offers quests for participants, further enhancing the sense of gamification. These tasks encourage audiences to delve deeper into the story, uncovering hidden Easter eggs, layers of narrative and meaning. “The audience becomes another character. They are an intrinsic, indispensable part of the scene and the story,” Prof Calleja concludes.

For more detail and tickets for 1881, Teatru Malta’s groundbreaking upcoming production, visit www.1881.show.