‘Alt-Escape’ in Surrey with music, lasers by creative Montreal duo
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, September 17, 2026
Electronic music, lasers, sensors and immersive visuals combine for Alt-Escape, at Surrey Arts Centre on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The multimedia show, which kicks off the 2026-27 Surrey Civic Theatres season, was created by Video Phase, a Montreal-based performance group.
Julien-Robert and Julien Compagne transform a stage into an interactive work of art unlike a traditional concert or theatre performance.
“It’s a show audiences have never seen before, in the sense that it’s a new way of creating and performing audiovisual music on stage,” Julien-Robert explains.
“It’s a music show first,” he adds, “but it’s also a hybrid performance that brings together music, digital art, multimedia and interactive visuals. We designed our own instruments made of custom interfaces using electronics, sensors and lasers, and we use them to control an interactive visual system in real time that was built in a game engine. Basically, the stage itself becomes a multimedia instrument, so we perform with the stage.”
See for yourself on videophase.net and Youtube.
Two performers begin in separate worlds and don’t know the other exists. As the show progresses, they begin to communicate and interact until they eventually play together and merge into a single universe.
“It took three years to develop and design the instruments, make sure they worked properly, create the content of the show and present an initial pre-premiere performance,” Julien-Robert notes. “A year later we staged the official premiere. Altogether, it took four years to create the show audiences see today.”
Surrey school students will watch Alt-Escape Thursday, followed by a 7 p.m. public performance Saturday at the arts centre’s 400-seat Main Stage. Tickets are sold on purchase.surrey.ca or call 604-501-5580 ($55 adults, $45 kids). A 3 p.m. Saturday show time was scrubbed.
From fall to spring, two dozen shows form Surrey Civic Theatres’ 2026-27 season of performing arts. Entertainment for all ages is promised during the annual series, staged at Surrey Arts Centre and Clayton Community Centre.