MOSTLY HUMAN: A New Opera for a New Audience
Mostly Human is a new, interactive, science fiction opera, written to be performed live and on the streaming platform Twitch. Written by American Composer Alexis Bacon and British writer Toria Banks, ‘Mostly Human’ is a funny and heartfelt online show about normal people coping with the end of the world.
Twitch is a streaming platform, where users broadcast live from their own channel. These channels focus particular hobbies, especially video games, arts and crafts, and pets and wildlife, and streams tend to be long, relaxed ‘hang outs’, with lots of audience interaction. Twitch is designed to welcome people into a live performance, making it an ideal ’venue’ for online opera. Plus, although a lot of the content is very wholesome, it can also feel voyeuristic and alienating, making it a perfect setting for sci fi. This opera introduces a new, non-opera audience to opera.
We use Twitch’s existing interactive chat features and add some of our own. ‘Mostly Human’ is a choose-your-own-adventure. The audience votes on the way forward at key moments, creating an opera that’s genuinely different every time. Viewers also solve puzzles, chat and give out rewards to the performers. We’ve also found a way to ‘harvest’ the voices of our audience and make them a part of the music of the show!
International Performances:
- Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, July 2024
- University of Nottingham, UK, (planned for October 2026)
Creative Artists:
- Toria Banks – Director/Librettist
- Alexis Bacon – Composer
- Alison Dobbins – UX & Video Designer
Producing Partners:
- We Are Hera, a London-based opera/theatre production company which focuses on elevating the voices of women and gender-minoritized artists and creating performances accessible to all.
- Virtual and Immersive Production Studio, University of Nottingham, UK
