2018 marks the centenary of Women being given the right to vote in the United Kingdom. To mark this momentous occasion, a unique musical performance was commissioned that blends augmented reality (AR) into a stage performance to celebrate the life and achievements of Suffragette, activist and entrepreneur, Lady Rhondda.
Margaret Haig Thomas, the Viscountess Rhondda was part of the Welsh Suffrage movement and a tireless campaigner for equal rights. Rhondda Rips It Up! Is a musical comedy that tells the story of her life and adventures.
The Welsh National Opera (WNO) decided to further enhance the performance by working with digital production company REWIND to add AR to the performance. REWIND took one of the key scenes from the musical, the courtroom trial, and added in elements of AR.
REWIND and WNO worked together to blend in the digital AR elements with traditional performance and music to create what they believe will be a stimulating experience, which is going by the name Rhondda Rebel AR.
The Ar experience will be premiered at Sessions House in Usk, where the AR experience will be synced to the live theatre performance, putting Rhondda in the court with live actors and spatial audio.
AR tracking markers were placed in the court environment, so Rhondda moves around the court room, with the networking setup which has been installed ensuring everything remains perfectly in sync.
There are plans for Rhondda Rebel AR to tour as an installation to various locations across Wales and England, with modifications so it won’t require the use of live actors.
The performance in Sessions House in Usk is free to attend, with tickets available to book through the EventBrite page. The running time in 10 minutes.
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