Eulogy is the latest binaural soundscape experience from Darkfield. It’s a concept that first appeared some years ago at the Fringe in the form of Fiction, also written by Darkfield’s artistic director Glen Neath. Along with the similarly styled and conceived pieces, Flight and Séance, Eulogy is a piece staged in the pitch blackness of a closed shipping container, told via a headset, with each audience member creating the piece visually in their own mind.
Once inside the container, the participants are allocated a named place in a cage-like seat. This is intriguing as it allows each experience to be personalised, as in addition to the recorded dialogue revolving around that particular name, there is an interactive element, through some simple yes and no questions.
For such a relatively short and inventive piece, it’s not necessary to elaborate on the plot as there is a dreamlike strangeness to much of it, although it is worth mentioning that it is deliberately unnerving at points, as well as featuring a few jump-scare moments. It isn't quite as cohesive a tale as it could be, feeling very similar at points to the previous show, Fiction, but it's still entertaining and immersive.
It’s a deliciously oppressive and disconcerting experience, but one well worth trying out, and with the addition of a phone app tying in with the experience, perhaps one worth trying at home if you miss it this Festival Fringe.