What is Internet the Musical?
A wildly eclectic, interactive, dramatic and very fun musical theatre piece.
During the start of the pandemic in 2020, a team of 50 artists from a dozen different countries, who suddenly found themselves living in isolation, got together online to create a musical about the internet. All artists who participated in creating/writing Internet The Musical have responded to an open call, which was shared internationally through various media in different languages. The result? A diverse team of 50 artists, including musicians, actors, designers, dancers and writers from a dozen different countries. Guided by artistic team Flavia Faas and Céline Talens of Questions Collective.
We chose the format of a musical, not because the piece can be described as your standard musical, but because it is a format in which many different disciplines and styles can come together and enhance each other. We have been working with artists from a lot of different backgrounds and disciplines who work on the piece in ways that blur the lines of ownership. The aim of this project is to collaborate to create a story about connection in times of isolation.
Now the script and songs are written, costumes and sets are sketched, it is time to perform Internet the Musical in real life. Completely in the spirit of the writing process, the performance of the musical will be about connecting together internationally.
With this musical we tell a story that tries to capture ‘the internet’ as a whole and in all its absurdity. Seen from the perspective of a person who is looking to distinguish between ‘online’ and ‘offline’. This idea is being challenged in this musical, with interactive online elements that are visible on stage.
The main character of the story ‘The Human’ longs for real contact, true connection, and they go online to seek it. As a sort of Alice in Wonderland, the Human falls from one website into the next and meets the inhabitants of the internet. Figures like the Algorhythm (who has a great sense of rhythm), the Reviewer (who is stuck on Ebay beach) and The Server are part of this adventurous story.
The promise of realness, true connection and freedom lingers constantly in the air, but the question remains: will this promise be fulfilled?
a Questions Collective