Step Inside the Kingdom of Mushrooms: An Immersive Sensory Adventure (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

A Kingdom of Mushrooms, Five Senses, Infinite Wonder and You. That's the name of the show, and in this immersive participatory experience at Melbourne Fringe Festival, audiences are invited to journey through five distinct installations, each transforming a single sense into a mushroom-fuelled world of discovery.

Jasmin Lefers, one third of Off The Spectrum, felt compelled to translate this small, seemingly simple organism into something so immersive after an introduction to a Dutch pioneer in the world of food and design. "It all started with late-night/early-morning educational sessions over Zoom," she explains. "Aaron, one of the trio involved in putting this together, introduced me to one of the pioneers in food design Marije Vogelzang. From there I put myself through a few courses such as Food & Design Dive. Being in the Netherlands the class times were anything from midnight to 4am. It was bloody incredible. Eye-opening, mind-blowing, and tiring."

"But one question asked during the course was if you could be one food, what would it be?  Maybe it was the late-nights/early-mornings and the sleep deprivation, but mushroom immediately came to mind. I thought about why mushroom, and the more I delved, the more I realised there is nothing a mushroom can't be or do. Medicinal, clothing, decomposing plastics ... the list is endless," she says. "Yes, they are delicious but there is far more to them than simply taste and smell. I wanted to introduce this to people in an approachable, entertaining, and interactive environment. Using what I had learnt and the visions I had, I went off to convince a couple of others that it was a fab idea to bring to life. So to answer your question, I would say that I didn't so much as approach the mushroom as the mushroom approached me."

Clearly, some senses are easier than others to explore through mushroom magic, but Lefers is hoping that even though people may expect something specific, that there are still plenty of surprises for them to encounter. "I believe you need to give something expected and unexpected to a great extent to make people comfortable with being pushed out of their comfort zone," she tells me. "So with this in mind I developed the group intro as a visual kaleidoscope where we do a meet and greet with a themed cocktail/mocktail while we chat about the experience they are about to embark on and put them into groups of up to six people."

"A lot of the study for Food & Design Dive was about separating out our senses when it came to food and designing experiences. The way you deliver something has a great impact on the way it is perceived," Lefers continues. "At some stage I got lost down the YouTube path of the Mushroom Church and MycoLyco mushroom music, where mushrooms are hooked up to a kind of synthesiser to make sounds and music. That determined the first of the senses I had to introduce people to. I don't believe silent disco equipment has ever been used in such a manner."

A Kingdom of Mushrooms... is as much about exploration as it is about delight. But while this is about audience members exploring their senses in a new way and delighting in the resulting outcomes, Lefers also finds her own excitement in bringing this show to life. "I hope they walk away a little more open to new experiences, having learnt a little, and enjoyed a lot in the company of others. There was a wonderful playfulness, and joy during and after the experience. I would love participants to leave feeling enlightened and lighter. But for me the most wondrous part is people's genuine and unique reactions to each of the five stations. It's so pure and fascinating and rewarding."

With its blend of experimental gastronomy, sensory theatre, and playful scientific curiosity, A Kingdom of Mushrooms, Five Senses, Infinite Wonder and You is bound to leave more than just a good taste in your mouth. It's destined to be a feast for both palate and imagination.

FRINGE FIVE FAST ONES

1. A song I could listen to on repeat forever is umm, so so many. The album Sex by The Necks...Take Me I'm Yours by Mary Clark, but ok let's settle on Chelsea Roger by Prince. Gah, maybe...
2. One object I can’t live without backstage is a tennis ball, as I use it to focus or move my thoughts and energy.
3. My favourite word is muppet because it's always so satisfying to say.
4. Something unexpected that brings me joy is pure simple joy on another person's face that I got to help put there. I didn't know I loved the feeling until it existed.
5. If I could live one day as someone else, it would be maybe Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine. As if I could ever get over my fear and frozen state of singing in front of others, I always secretly wanted to be a front person for a great band but it would have to be a day that she got to perform at a huge festival!

Show Details

Venue: Artitude Studios, 83 Kerr Street (roller door at end of the lane), Fitzroy
Season: 9 - 12 October | Thurs - Fri 8pm, Sat - Sun 11am and 3pm
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $59
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival