Extra Lives: The Interactive Video Game Concert at Gilded Balloon Patter House Review
Extra Lives: The Interactive Video Game Concert has a fantastic concept. Part video game, part live concert and part choose-your-own-adventure, this is a show almost tailor-made for gamers and, when everything comes together, you can see exactly why the idea works.
The audience essentially takes control of the game, voting on decisions which determine where the story goes next, while a live band provides the soundtrack in real time. With different routes and possible endings depending on the choices made, there is a lot to like here and plenty of opportunity for every performance to feel different.
The musicians themselves are a real highlight. There is no questioning the talent on stage, and the energy they bring to the performance is infectious. Playing a live soundtrack alongside an interactive game is no easy task, yet musically the show has some brilliant moments. The enthusiasm of the performers is also clear throughout and goes a long way towards keeping the audience on side.
Unfortunately, on the performance I attended, the execution didn’t quite live up to the strength of the idea.
There were a number of technical problems throughout the show which repeatedly interrupted its flow. Sound issues cropped up, the wrong screen would occasionally appear during the interactive game, and there were moments where we were simply left waiting while things were sorted out.
Individually, these are fairly minor problems and technical hiccups can happen in any live performance. Collectively, though, they began to affect the pace of a show that really needs to keep moving.
The audience interaction caused a similar problem. At one point, a volunteer was needed from the audience, but when nobody immediately offered, there didn’t seem to be an alternative way of moving the show forward. Everything effectively came to a halt until somebody eventually agreed to get involved.
For a production built around interaction, there needs to be a plan for the possibility that an audience doesn’t participate in the way expected of them. Having a way to quickly adapt and keep things moving would prevent these moments from draining the energy the performers have worked hard to build.
It’s a shame because there is a genuinely great show somewhere within Extra Lives.
The combination of gaming, storytelling and live music is clever, and the musicians give the show a personality of its own. For anyone with a love of gaming, there is plenty here to enjoy.
The problem at the moment is that the show doesn’t feel quite refined enough to consistently deliver on its potential.
The pauses, technical problems and occasional uncertainty around the audience interaction make things feel less polished than they need to be. A production based around a video game inevitably relies heavily on its technical elements, so when those aren’t running smoothly it becomes much harder to stay immersed in the adventure.
None of this means the concept doesn’t work. In fact, the concept is probably the strongest thing about Extra Lives, and the talent and energy of the musicians make it even clearer how good this show has the potential to be.
A tighter approach to the audience interaction and some work on making the technical side run more smoothly would make a considerable difference.
For gamers in particular, Extra Lives is still an interesting and unusual addition to the Fringe. It’s creative, ambitious and doing something genuinely different, with a talented group of musicians at its centre who clearly throw themselves into what they’re doing.
There is a very good show waiting to emerge here and with some work, tweaking and a bit more polish, Extra Lives could easily level up.
Extra Lives: The Interactive Video Game Concert plays at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 31st August
★★★
Written by Liam for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
