Live From The Underworld

Welcome Mortal, to the underworld

Welcome to the Underworld.

Live From The Underworld is an award-winning 2-part series of interactive XR performances featuring mythological avatars brought to life by real-time motion capture technology & live opera singers, where audiences can determine the outcome of the show. Live from the Underworld was a finalist in the 2022 AUREA Awards, one of the most prestigious events in immersive entertainment, and was awarded 2 out of the possible 5 awards in the Innovation and Creativity categories in December in Germany at the NTR – The Metaverse Summit.

Eurydice: Live from the Underworld is the first part of the series, which was live-streamed during IndieFest 2021. As the dynasty of Calliope comes to an end, all mortals are called forth to help shape the stories of the realm. Eurydice must choose between the safety of her willow tree or venturing into the underworld.

Live from the Underworld II: Eurydice’s Descent is the continuation to the story and was live-streamed in Spring 2022. In this chapter, Eurydice must choose between reclaiming her heritage or reconnecting with her love, Orpheus.

Live from the Underworld II: Eurydice’s Calling gives audiences an alternate ending to the series. This was the first ever in-person performance of this remarkable collaboration, kicking off IndieFest 2022. Watch the Teaser Trailer.

What’s Next: Eurydice Fragments

In 2023, after four years of our work with emerging technology inside the myth of Eurydice, our new project Eurydice Fragments has received an investment from the National Creation Fund. This major investment allows us to present a new, full length immersive show that is the culmination of 4 years of development and experimentation. Eurydice Fragments will premiere during the 2024-25 season. Learn more about the project on the National Arts Centre’s website.

We are grateful to our audience and collaborators, our funders and sponsors, and the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund for this incredible opportunity to develop and showcase new works.

Eurydice Fragments has evolved out of many workshops and explorations, including OrpheusVR, Live From The Underworld and Tap Ex: Augmented Opera, that have been supported by: the Canada Council for the Arts, Government of Canada, City of Vancouver, Province of British Columbia, CreativeBC, British Columbia Arts Council, Vancouver Civic Theatres, MITACS, Reallusion, Movella, the Sawmill Studios, Tapestry Opera and the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

Project History

In 2018 a team of digital and opera artists came together to ask “what would opera look like if it were invented today?”. From that initial question OrpheusVR, an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure, virtual-reality opera was born. In 2020, a prototype was presented at VIFF Immersed.

After completing the prototype in 2021, the OrpheusVR team started working in the digital live stream space, using real-time motion capture technology and computer avatars from the OrpheusVR world to create live, interactive operatic performances that can be streamed from any device.