Riptide create unique immersive and interactive theatrical experiences which transport you to another world. Audiences are swept through the narratives, spaces and cities in which our performances occur.
Since 2014 we have been making work which places the audience at the heart of the experience, combining innovative storytelling with digital technologies. These experiences may be as varied as encounters in secret corners of a confetti-filled nightclub, an intimate, pervasive and personalised performance for one, or a guided journey through city spaces accompanied by smartphone and GPS technology.
Our work combines the artistry of immersive theatre, the thrill of being inside a real-life Black Mirror episode and the interactivity of your very own Truman Show. Our current series of work is called Lost Connections.
We don't just break the fourth wall, we entirely demolish the other three walls too. Discard all sense of where you think the ground should be. Give yourself up to the riptide, and see where it takes you. The riptide will leave you unmoored and irreversibly changed.
Why Riptide?
Riptides are strong currents that pull you in new and unexpected directions. They are hidden and unpredictable, and they can emerge at random locations; it is only when you are immersed in a riptide that you know it is there.
Many of our performances occur in public spaces, and passers-by may be oblivious to the fact you are caught in the riptide. In our experiences you will be pulled through hidden spaces, cities and fractured narratives, unable to see how far the riptide extends.
What we stand for
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01
We place the audience at the very heart of everything we do and seek to empower them through the experiences we create.
Our work blends moments of epic spectacle with intimate, personal and bespoke encounters.
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02
We challenge the status quo.
We transform, reinvent and reimagine theatre conventions — and that means everything from how we hire and work with artists to how we collaborate, how we sell tickets and the nature of our events.
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03
We plan to be pioneers of care.
This is a central value. It covers everything from paying ITC rates as standard to offering free mental health support to all of our artists and freelancers on an opt-out basis. There is also a trained mental health first aider on all of our projects.
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04
We are a digital company.
We use GPS-locative technology, apps, AR and VR, binaural 360 immersive sound and mobile technologies, and we are interested in how technology enhances the live experience.
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We are proud to be from the North.
We strive to represent the city of Leeds, the North and the world around us, and to celebrate its diversity.
Winner, Best Immersive Theatre Company — UK Enterprise Awards 2023 & 2025
“Ambitious and riveting experiences”
“Genuinely surprising, blurring the line between fiction and reality”
“Riptide tears up the theatrical rulebook”
“A company to watch”
