A Drone Opera – Arts House
Consider the social impact of unmanned aerial drones as they hover a few metres above your head.
Overview
Whether they're delivering packages from Amazon or dropping bombs over the Middle East, drones are rapidly becoming a part of everyday life. Still, as far as we know, they've never been used in an opera — or at least they hadn't until now. Presented by Arts House and Experimenta Media Arts, Matthew Sleeth's A Drone Opera explores the social and cultural impact of unmanned aerial vehicles through an ambitious live endeavour that mixes the old with the new.
On stage at Arts House for four nights only, this multimedia production features a pair of opera singers amid smoke, moving imagery and a full-blown laser show. But the most intriguing element of the show is undoubtedly the drones themselves. Designed and built by Sleeth, they'll whir around the theatre throughout the duration of the performance, a robotic presence hovering just above the crowd. Let's just hope the pilots are on top of their game.
