Almost any good show relies on its characters. More particularly, they rely on characters in relationship with each other. In interactive immersive shows, those characters, their relationships and their goals are ways to bring the audience into the world, give a sense of what they might do, and crucially, how they might feel about what they’re doing.
(This is a blog about the Come Bargain trilogy, crowdfunding now. If you'd like to support it, you can find out more here.)
Is it scary? Dangerous? Exciting? Worthy? Tawdry? By seeing the characters, we discover the world.
To take the Come Bargain trilogy as an (inevitable) example:
Come Bargain With Uncanny Things
The Invoker: Do you want to risk it? A leader; the one who wants everything to be done properly. While the community is (by law and custom) in charge, the Invoker looks askance at those pushing to take risks.
The Wyrd-Gazer/Offerer: Why don’t you try it? A researcher; fascinated by what is not known about the Uncanny Things and what they can do. Willing to dip a toe into danger if there’s a reason.
The Council Worker: Is it right to do that? A protector; someone there to keep people and the everyday world safe. A person trying to make sure that the community looks after itself, and watch the bargainers.
The Uncanny Thing: What do you really want? At what cost? A creature of unknown power and unclear goals; a menace and a promise.
Veterans of the first Come Bargain will notice that we’ve slimmed down the cast size. Why? So we can have a stage manager helping us backstage. If we raise enough money though…
Come Worship Our Uncanny King
The Adorer: How much do you love it? A sycophant; a person desperate to keep the King’s favour. While they will aid the court in pleasing the King, they crave the King’s love above any duty.
The Scholar: Is it better to choose to obey? A sage; someone who understands the King as tyrant and storm, and knows how foolish defiance is (if only theoretically).
Silent: Does a monster deserve decency? Someone who is bound for unknown reasons, serving and yet able to play the court’s fool without ever speaking a word.
The Uncanny King: How should you treat a power that does not care about you? A creature of enormous power and unpredictable whims; an offer and a threat.
You’ll notice that, behind the scenes, these characters don’t have names. We know what they stand for and what they want, but details will be developed with the cast.
Come Murder An Uncanny Thing
The Vengeful One: How do you punish the inhuman? A vigilante; a person who has been wronged and is eager to bring justice. A zealot seeking to win others’ agreement.
The Lawful Bargainer: Is that decent? A careful professional facing the danger of the crowd; someone trying to hold onto a vision of justice as process and decency.
The Citizen: What should we do? The person who found the Thing, now caught amid this strange, unpredictable attempt to find justice for a thing that is not human.
The Captive Thing: Is this who you really are? A thing that has tormented and been tormented, and has now lost; a danger and a mirror.
Which brings us to the real question. Who would you want to meet? Who would get along? Who will help your community most?
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