AN ARK

AN ARK is the first large scale theatrical presentation ever created in Mixed Reality. It began years ago as a conversation over a curry in South London. The great British playwright Simon Stephens and I were talking about why we might do something like this in the first place - what this untested, kind of clunky new medium might provide that wasn’t possible any other way. Over the years we’d see each other and continue the discussion, but it was during the run of The Life at Christie’s between Covid lockdowns that cemented the concept. “Oh I understand it now!” I remember Simon excitedly saying around an outdoor table, and we were off.

I bring up the origin because it’s important - asking why shaped the purpose, and the purpose allowed AN ARK to become something unique and human and otherwise impossible. It’s ultimately a work that belongs to a group of relentlessly talented, visionary people - but in truth, it all starts with Simon, and I will be forever indebted to him.

- Todd Eckert

Tin Drum and the Shed Present the World Premiere of AN ARK - The first play created for and in mixed reality

January 9 – April 4, 2026 | Exclusive Seven-Week Run at The Shed

Tickets on sale now at theshed.org

“Don't panic
Don't be scared.
This must feel strange to you.
It felt strange to me...”
—An Ark

An Ark is a lyrical meditation on the human condition, traversing the span of a lifetime in just 47 immersive, affecting minutes. From the wonder of childhood and the joy of first love to the complexities of parenting and the inevitability of death, the play invites audiences into a deeply personal exploration of what it means to live, to grieve, and to connect.