Mindcraft

Linked, liked and yet lonely? Data is crossing the planet within nanoseconds. Friendships transcend national boundaries. Lara, Nicki, Becky and Chris know everything there is to know about each other: their fears and worries, their dreams and ambitions. Heartaches, stress at school, problems at home; lucky streaks, party nights, first times – there are no taboos between them. They have never met in real life, but they hear and see each other every day – in the virtual world. By pressing a button on their computer and logging on to “Mindcraft”, they can enter a seemingly perfect world. Here, it does not matter whether you are wearing the latest clothes, whether climate change is progressing or whether your teacher at school has made an insulting remark. They craft their world just as they want it to be. Ruling the world and saving it could be so easy. They have no trouble reaching the next level.

At least in theory – but in practice? A global shutdown changes everything. Suddenly, Lara, Nicki, Becky and Chris are trapped in the virtual world of their online game. How can they get out and why are they even here? What has been programmed and who is pressing the buttons in this game? When cyberspace becomes the only world there is, is it still easy to change everything for the better? How many lives do they have left?

Composer-in-residence Carolin Anna Pichler is responsible for the futuristic sound of this musical, created as a commissioned work for the Salzburg State Theatre’s ensemble, the Children’s Choir of the Salzburg Festival and the Salzburg State Theatre as well as a live band. She will develop the plot of the play together with choreographer Kate Watson and dramaturge Christiane Silberhumer, who both specialise in telling stories to young audiences.

With his productions of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Peter Pan”, Carl Philip von Maldeghem has shown that his distinct artistic style suits young and adult tastes alike. Designer Vanessa Habib will furnish a futuristic stage and matching costumes.