First look at immersive stage remix of The Matrix from Danny Boyle

A first look at a new immersive performance based on The Matrix films has been revealed.

Factory International presents Free Your Mind, created especially for the official opening of Aviva Studios, Manchester’s landmark new cultural venue.

Premiering on 18 October 2023, Free Your Mind is a dramatic retelling of the classic 1999 sci-fi film through dance, music and visual effects.

Featuring over 50 professional dancers from the North West and across the UK and almost 100 participants from Greater Manchester, this world-first adaptation will take place throughout the building’s ultra-flexible spaces.

Directed by Danny Boyle, Free Your Mind brings together the visceral movement of choreographer Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy with a powerful score from renowned composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante (co-founders and artistic directors of the Olivier award-winning Boy Blue), large-scale stage sculptures by world-leading designer Es Devlin and the work of the acclaimed writer Sabrina Mahfouz.

The creative team also includes celebrated costume designer Gareth Pugh, award-winning lighting designer Lucy Carter, sound designer Gareth Fry and renowned video designer Luke Halls.

In collaboration with BAFTA-winning producer Tracey Seaward, Free Your Mind will ingeniously recreate some of cinema’s most iconic moments, employing hip-hop choreography, immersive set designs, and cutting-edge visual effects.

Embarking on a journey from 1999, the year of The Matrix’s initial release, to the present day, where our lives are on the cusp of being enveloped by the Metaverse, the show offers a captivating exploration of the past and future.

It brings to life the timeless words of The Matrix’s protagonist, Neo: “I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.”

Free Your Mind runs 18 October – 5 November 2023 at Aviva Studios, Manchester. For more information, visit factoryinternational.org