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New Games – Play in the UK documentary launch Jan 29, 7pm

Written by Sayraphim

Last year, Robert and Sayraphim went over to the UK to make a documentary investigating companies over there who make games and playful situations.

We’re launching this documentary, New Games – Play in the UK, on the Big Screen at Federation Square, on the 29th of January at 7pm. It runs approx. 40 mins.

New Games features interviews with Holly Gramazio from Hide and Seek, Gwyn Morfey from Fire Hazard, Vee Uye and Andrew Crofts from Larkin’ About, Kars Alfrink and Tim Bosje from Hubbub, Grant Howett from Zombie LARP, James Wheale from Slingshot, Rosie Fairchild from Splash and Ripple, Tom Bowtell and Annette Mees from Coney, Matt Johnson from Haberdashery Collective, Matthew Robbins and Viviane Schwarz.

It’s a free event, so come down to Fed Square and grab a front row deck chair for the screening!

Federation Square, New Games doco, videos, ,

Fresh Air trailer

Written by Sayraphim

Our Fresh Air Festival (8, 9, and 10 February at Federation Square) now has a brand new trailer!

Check it out for some idea of the craziness in store.

Fresh Air trailer from popupplayers on Vimeo.

Federation Square, Fresh Air, videos, ,

Spy Catcher at the Bally, Melbourne

Written by Sayraphim

Spy Catcher is back on, for one night only!

We’re all spies here – but double agents are murdering our top assets. Your mentor stands among the accused. Are they guilty? Can you really trust a spy? And will you find out – before it’s too late?

Join us for Spy Catcher, a large-scale game of bluffing and accusation adapted from the popular parlour game Werewolf, in which your favourite performers are your only hope – and your deadliest enemies.. Check out the photos from our Fringe Festival Club night here.

Our great Bally On High line-up of spies includes:

* Magician LEE COHEN, President of Australian Institute of Magic
* Comedian NICHOLAS J JOHNSON, Australia’s Honest Conman
* Actor DAVE LAMB (The Bazura Project, Bell Shakespeare)
* Playwright and novelist VAN BADHAM

Spy Catcher returns for ONE NIGHT ONLY at The Bally
Date: Thursday, 7 Feb, 2013
Time: 6:30pm – 9pm
Venue: The Bally, Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street, Northcote, VIC.
Tickets: Full $18, Concession and group 6+ $15, purchase from Carnival Tix

We’ll see you there!

Spy Catcher

Playtest 2 for Fresh Air

Written by Sayraphim

On Sunday we had our second playtest for Fresh Air.

We started out with Larkin’ About‘s Attack The Block where the Red, Green and Blue Teams attempted to take over each other’s territory. This was made even more interesting by the fact that Fed Square now has 250 Christmas trees scattered around the main playing area.

Next, we played Obscure Games‘ Nashville, where our players were gunslingers from the Wild West, using their best poker hand to win shootouts. You ain’t never had a shootout in the middle of summer in a forest of Xmas trees like this!

Finally, we playtested one of our own games, Tourist Attractor, where three players were Tour Guides who made up increasingly bizarre stories about different aspects of Fed Square.

Thanks to everyone who attended! We’ll have a final playtest in January, so keep an eye out for announcements about that soon…

Fresh Air, playtests, , ,

They’re behind you, a responce by Emilie Collyer

Written by Sayraphim

We’re very proud to announce our new Writer in Residence – Emilie Collyer! Emilie writes plays, performance words, fiction and poetry and in between all that she’s also one of our Pop Up Playtesters. We asked Emilie to respond creatively to playing The Curse at The Village with us.

 

They’re behind you

by Emilie Collyer

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
They met playing a simple game and swiftly became a tight gang of three. Like the Famous Five or the Secret Seven, but only three.Read More

Emilie Collyer, Writer in Residence, ,

The Whispering Society for White Night Melbourne

Written by Sayraphim

Some exciting news, we’ve just been commissioned to develop a brand new game for White Night Melbourne next February!

In the alleys and the echoing dark, in the halls and forgotten corridors, in the haunted places of the city you will find The Whispering Society. Searchers into the paranormal, The Whispering Society listens for the memories of places, gathering to hear the stories of the long forgotten. But lately the spirits have grown agitated, their whispering more urgent, more insistent and much louder. You can click here for more details…

Between Fresh Air and The Whispering Society, February is shaping up to be a busy month! Stay tuned for more details…

Festival games, Fresh Air, The Whispering Society, White Night Melbourne, , ,

Playtest 1 for Fresh Air

Written by Sayraphim

We all trooped off to Fed Square last weekend for our first playtest of games for Fresh Air, our outdoor games festival in Feb 2013.

We warmed up with a few games of Grandma’s Footsteps (traditional) then we trialed Atmosphere Industries’ Mont Trottoir and finished it off with our own piratey adventure game, Bury Yer Treasure.

Thanks to everyone who came and played! Next Playtest is in the city, Sunday 9th Dec from 11.00 – 4.00. Would you like to come play? Email us at
rabbithole at popupplayground.com.au to let us know if you’re coming and we’ll let you know where to meet us

Festival games, Fresh Air, playtests, , ,

The Curse

Written by Sayraphim

In the shadows, behind the tents, a fortune telling machine beckons. “Cross my palm with silver” reads a cracked and painted banner. But these things are ne’er straightforward. Will it simply tell you your future? Or will there be some kind of trouble…

The Curse is a new game for The Village festival which will be played on Friday the 2nd and Saturday the 3rd of November, 2012, with two sessions each night at 8 and 10 PM. The game lasts up to an hour.

Search out the Pop Up Players’ Tent Boss and his team of showies, fortune tellers and clowns, and cross their palms with silver (or at least a $5 note) for a magical brush with fate you’ll never forget.

Image by Awesome Joolie, used with permission

Festival games, Games, The Curse, The Village, , ,

Freeplay 2012

Written by Sayraphim

Yesterday, Rob and Sayraphim ran a Games and Theatre workshop at Freeplay 2012. In it, we looked at where games and theatre collide. We looked at pervasive and social games, some of our main interests, and playful engagements. We took along one of our favourite playful engagements to do while we chatted, The Cabinet of Dr Madazpants. Read More

Freeplay festival, workshop,

Spy Catcher @ The Melbourne Fringe Festival Club

Written by Sayraphim

We’re all spies here – but double agents are murdering our top assets. Your mentor stands accused. Are they guilty? Can you find out before it’s too late?

Join Pop Up Playground for Spy Catcher, a interactive game of inquisition, misdirection and accusation.

Hosted by Ben McKenzie, and featuring a line-up of suspicious spies from all over the Fringe Festival, this game is presented as a free event for the Festival Club games day – followed by Late Night Letters and Numbers.

Watch this space for more details of our line-up!

Look us up in the Fringe program here: http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/sunday-games-day-spy-catcher/

 

Games, Melbourne Fringe Festival, News, Spy Catcher,