Watching people play Minecraft
makes me feel particularly old. I’m someone who grew up on both Lego and
video games, so the idea of a game that somewhat brings the two together
shouldn’t be alien to me. Yet somehow it’s just never appealed.
Yet if ever there was evidence of the creative power of Minecraft it’s Mine, a new theatre production from Vancouver-based company Theatre
Replacement at the Arts Depot. Created, directed and performed by company Artistic
Director Maiko Yamamoto (alongside a whole group of other player/performers),
it’s a play about the relationship between mothers and sons that is performed live
within Minecraft itself. The results
are fascinating.
For the uninitiated, Minecraft
is a 2011 sandbox video game originally developed by Swedish developer
Markus Persson. As blocky characters, players can build, destroy and explore
worlds created with low-fi textured building blocks, both alone or online in
huge multiplayer environments. Since its release, it has become the second
highest grossing video game of all time behind only Tetris, with many weird and whacky creations shared across the
Internet. The possibilities are near endless.
Mine was inspired
by Yamamoto’s own relationship with her 11-year-old son. The two began playing Minecraft together two years ago and the
dynamics of their in-game relationship were the impetus behind the play. The
narrative recreates famous stories of mothers and sons, from Bambi to Beowulf, The Terminator and more. Through these stories, Yamamoto
touches on a variety of themes: a mother’s fear of losing her child, a child’s
coming of age, mortality, and online safety. The choice of stories is often surprisingly
dark, but there’s humour in the delivery from Yamamoto and the young cast,
especially as fun personal touches bleed into each story to emphasise the sense
of creativity.
Mostly, though, Mine blurs
the boundaries between theatre and gaming. Esports are gradually becoming more
globally recognised, so why can’t gaming be considered performative? The cast
perform the stories within the game, projected onto huge screens behind them,
while other gamers act as directors to move the camera and frame the action. Monologues
are spoken over the visuals, and chiptune music (mostly from other games) plays
in the background. There’s a real sense of collaboration to it all, with multiple
players coming together to create a single whole – the essence of both theatre
and Minecraft. Theatre can be playful;
here that’s made literal.
Further, the narrative of mother and son highlights a
generational gap and a swapping of roles. Often it’s the children who are
better suited to new technology, parents lagging behind. And that spreads into
the audience too. It’s a delight to see so many children in the theatre,
excited to see their favourite game projected on-stage and explaining the
mechanics and rules of the game to their parents – parents who remain confused
and dumbfounded.
Though it explores some interesting themes, the disparate
stories of Mine don’t quite come
together into a cohesive thread. And for some, the total use of video games
might be a step too far into a strange, frightening technological world. Yet viewing
theatre through screens and avatars could become a reality for the medium. For
now, it remains a unique and innovative experiment.
3/5
Watch: Mine runs at the Arts Depot until 23rd March, before heading to Cambridge Junction.
Photos: Chris Randle
