‘It Feels Real!’: Excess and Intensity in The Prison

This chapter discusses the affective and immersive larp scenario The Prison, focusing on the dramaturgical structure, affective experiences, and challenges faced in its design and production. The production aimed to create an intense and immersive experience that encouraged reflection on the impact of affect on thoughts, behaviours, and attitudes, specifically focusing on themes of discipline, incarceration, and oppressive power relations. The chapter details the exercises, scenes, and scenography designed to evoke specific affective resonances and responses from participants, as well as the challenges faced in the production, such as budget constraints and the need to address class distinctions and prejudiced portrayals. Additionally, it outlines the potential value of productions like The Prison as micropolitical explorations, theorising around the strategies by which power and politics can be revealed and potentially disrupted through affective movements. The chapter also provides insights into participant responses and experiences, as well as the affective influences of space on performance. Furthermore, it discusses the historical and societal context that influenced the production, drawing connections to Ireland’s history of incarceration and oppression and that of Russia, the origin of the larp.