“Temping” is a staple and sell-out each year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It makes clever use of Microsoft Office, and we were lucky enough to get a ‘behind the scenes’ look.
The show is a unique blend of interactive technology and narrative storytelling, where the solo audience member takes on the role of an office temp.
The setting is a meticulously detailed office, complete with a Windows desktop, Post-it notes, a shredder, printer and a landline phone (it’s a little old-fashioned). There’s left-behind stationary and personal photos from the last occupant, adding a lived-in touch to the experience.
Throughout the hour-ish show, you carry out various office tasks, such as editing a client’s status to deceased. The change of status features Excel conditional formatting to change the background color of the entire row.
Calculate Life Expectancies from an actuary-designed Excel workbook, note the extra tabs for background calculations and Mortality Tables.
The narrative is guided by voice notes and emails that appears in Outlook from the absent employee, Sarah Jane, and other office staff.
The show subtly explores themes of corporate alienation and modern work culture. While there is some guidance, the course of the show largely depends on the individual player’s actions. This dual role of audience and performer can be daunting, but it also makes the experience engaging and stimulating.
The production has received positive reviews, with critics praising its attention to detail, immersive design, and thought-provoking themes. However, this is a solo immersive experience may vary depending on the participant’s level of engagement.
Behind the scenes is a control room that sends messages as required by the script via email, voice or printed out. Before each show the entire Outlook mailbox and Office files are reset with fresh copies. As usual, the backstage is a lot less glamorous.
“Temping” is a unique, immersive, and thought-provoking show that offers a fresh perspective on the mundanity of office life. It’s a testament to the innovative potential of interactive theater and nice to see.
“Temping” been ‘performed’ over 1,200 times. It’s sold out for this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Keep an eye on by Dutch Kills Theater and Wolf 359 (the narrative technologists not the battle) for future dates.
