It's bedtime, and the house is dark and still. You've checked the doors, and they're locked. You're safe in your room. You climb into bed and start to drift off... wait. Was that a normal creak? Or could it have been a footstep? What's that in the corner of your room? Is it just a chair, or is there a figure standing at the foot of your bed? Is the thing in your room getting closer, or is that your overactive imagination in the dark?
Eternal is the latest audio production from Darkfield Radio, the team behind immersive soundscape experiences Séance and Flight, which took place in physical shipping containers around the city. In the former, participants were immersed in the world of a séance that summons more than anyone bargained for. The Flight shipping container was fitted out like an aeroplane, with real plane seats, overhead bins and in-flight safety messaging. That made it all the more terrifying when the lights went out and the seats began to shake, but in both cases, a meticulously designed soundscape of terror brought the audience's worst fears to life.
Since small-space shows are off the table for the moment, Darkfield have been creating terrifying shows using only audio. Eternal is meant to be listened to alone, in bed, with all the lights out (all shows are after dark, and there's even a 1am show, to get full spookiness). As you relax and get comfortable in your bed, a voice begins talking in your ear. "I want to put your mind at rest," he says, describing his own nightly ritual.
But is your narrator really an ally? As he talks, you begin to have your doubts. He begins to describe his life, and it becomes clear he wants something from you. He'll give you something, too, but is that a bargain you really want to make?
This is among Darkfield's most effective shows, playing on the universal fear of the monster under the bed and things that go bump in the night. Listen to it just before you (try to) go to sleep to make the most of the narrative Darkfield have created. Sweet dreams.
