MOST PEOPLE DON'T choose to live in a goldfish bowl. But the performers behind Urban Dream Capsule, an interactive installation from Australia, have made a career of it for the past decade. Sealed inside a glass box for weeks, the four men aren't seeking to bring out the voyeur in us. Instead, they try to engage audiences the world over with humorous takes on domestic routines.
Even so, their Hong Kong venture will test their endurance.
For the first time, passers-by will get a 360-degree view of the interior. What's more, the group will live inside the 'pod', set up in a Mongkok shopping mall, for three weeks instead of the usual 16 days. Ahead of their show, the men seem unperturbed by the prospect of extended captivity. 'Some people think it's a prison. But it is actually the opposite,' says creative director and lead performer Neil Thomas. 'We can be exactly how we want to be.'
In fact, the show is 'liberating', he says. 'It's about how people can be more expressive on all levels.'
And far from being an obstacle to interaction, 'the glass [actually] breaks down barriers', says fellow performer Nick Papas. 'It's all about non-verbal communication. You develop very strong facial expressions.'
Tapping their experience in improvisational theatre in Melbourne, they make creative use of lip-sync, mime or dance steps, and perform skits when crowds are watching. For a romantic evening, they might put on mood music and encourage couples to dance.