Matt and Hat review: An innovative show that combines motion capture and choreography with VR

Matt and Hat

The Civic Theatre

★★★☆☆

A child alone in his bedroom appears somewhat forlorn and bored before he discovers a magical hat in a bright-green box, in this production that combines motion-capture technology and dance choreography with virtual-reality headsets.

When the audience enter the space for the show, which features a colourful set of toys and storage drawers, plus a giant spider hanging from the ceiling, an enthusiastic narrator invites us to dance and play along to games. Afterwards, sitting in a circle, we put on the headsets to watch Matt and his new magical hat dance and perform tricks.

This is an innovative, highly interactive show that will entertain and encourage the endless imaginations of young people. (It’s designed for young people aged 10 and up.)

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The structure and plot of the play might sag a little during the 20 minutes or so that we spend watching Matt dance, but the sense of wonder returns when we’re invited to take off our headsets and re-enter the physical space, which the narrator reveals has changed since we last saw it.