Nottingham-based theatre company Chronic Insanity is delighted to announce the launch of their new interactive digital theatre platform FableMosh, with their first show, Descension, released today (31st March). In a series of six plays, ranging from spoken word, comedy horror, gig theatre and absurdist, audiences will be able to cast each role before and during the story, picking from eight actors who have pre-recorded every role. Drawing from the character creation and choose-your-own adventure style of video games, FableMosh is a form of interactive performance that puts the casting process into the audiences’ hands. Audiences can choose from a lineup of actors, casting them into roles with the option of quickly adjusting their casting choice whilst watching without interrupting the flow of the performance. The platform premiered earlier this month at SXSW and follows on from Chronic Insanity’s online and in-person data driven arts and performance festival Puncture the Screen. Released monthly, each show will be available in film, podcast, and VR format.

The series starts with Descension by Lora Krasteva. Inspired by the UK riots last summer, this spoken word play is accompanied by an abstract collage of audio and delves into what would happen if all the migrants in the UK disappeared.

Next is Homunculus by Joe Strickland, (28th April) a comedy horror monologue about the lengths people will go for online attention. It follows an influencer who goes viral with footage of their pet frogs, and how their search for exotic creatures to keep their followers interested ends with them creating a real-life homunculus (a little human-like creature).

Following that is Gigs by Doug Deans, (26th May) a gig theatre monologue backed by pounding original music that follows the relationship of a couple who love going to see live music. But with gigs being the only thing really keeping them together, what happens when this is no longer enough?

Then Cuckoo’s Corner by Lucy Foster (30th June), accompanied by an immersive spatial sound design, is a horror monologue of a streamer living in a block of flats having its flammable cladding removed. As the construction noises interrupt their stream and they reveal more information about themselves, it comes into question: what is real and what is making that noise?

Turing, To You by Jamie Drew (28th July), is a farcical comedy about the overblown functionality of most AI systems and the ongoing need for human connection. Two people, having broken up with each other recently, both turn to AIs for comfort or advice. Coincidentally, they both have also started working for separate companies that employ people to pretend to be AIs.

Finally, The Roger Fischer Protocol by Jack Fairey (25th August), based on the famous thought experiment, looks at the relationship between a prime minister and the person they keep around with the nuclear launch codes surgically implanted in their chest. If the need to use them arises, will the PM have literal blood on their hands, or will the code keeper have a change of heart and try to get out of fulfilling their job?

The first production, Descension, has been released today on Monday 31st March, with a new production becoming available on the platform monthly.

Whilst many arts organisations are rescinding their digital culture offerings developed during Covid-19, Chronic Insanity continue to develop and explore new ways of creating accessible online theatre that is for everyone, as a queer and disability-led company. Drawing from their experience and knowledge of the tech industry, Chronic Insanity are enabling audiences to experience interactive storytelling however and wherever they choose. With a troupe of eight performers, they have created productions which people can experience though mixed reality (VR), as well as on screens and through headphones as podcasts.

Artistic Director of Chronic Insanity and one of the playwrights Joe Strickland said: “Imagine being able to choose the actors in a TV show, film, or play, customising a story with your favourite performers to create a version just for you. What if you could see more people like you in the stories you watch, connecting with the characters and living through them? This is often difficult to achieve when the character is only one person, with one set of characteristics. Many don’t realise this issue or how easily it can be addressed with a little creativity. FableMosh aims to give more agency and creative control to audiences who feel excluded from the stories society tells.”

Chronic Insanity is a Nottingham based theatre company that creates and facilitates live events in a variety of traditional, found, and digital spaces. They make work accessibly, affordably, sustainably, and inclusively, and seek to change the definition of what theatre can be by playing with form, genre, medium, and technology. They follow Staging Change guidelines, actively providing opportunities for theatre makers from all backgrounds, and record how each production is made so people can learn from them. Chronic Insanity run the UK’s first dedicated digital theatre literary department and have consistently produced twelve shows in twelve months.