Creator of multiple award-winning video game stage shows
Alistair has been a professional video game developer since 2010, and brings his design and tech skills to the stage in playable stage shows.
His debut show The Incredible Playable Show, created in 2016, uses unusual custom-made video game controllers to get the audience up on stage, moving around and making each other laugh. Controllers include inflatables, tablets worn on the body, and barcode scanners. It won the Jury Choice Award at the IndieCade Festival in Los Angeles in 2017
His most recent production, My Date with Pierce Brosnan, sees him perform as a clown in an improvised show powered by mobile technology. Audiences submit secret messages on their phones, which are voiced aloud by the titular celebrity: a talking dummy on a date with our lovestruck protagonist.
His shows are renowned for their unpredictable chaos, and his ability to create a space where everyone feels comfortable joining in and exploring the boundaries of the technology. Constantly developing material, Alistair’s interactive performances include both short cabaret acts of 5-10 minutes, and extended playable shows of 60-90 minutes.
Regarded as a boundary-pushing innovator within the games industry, his games and shows have been exhibited around the world. Past exhibitions include A MAZE Festival in Berlin, Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco, and Tokyo Games Show. In 2022 he was awarded IndieCade’s Performance Award for his livestream show Artholomew Video’s Stream Challenge. This same show won the grand prize at the Creative Gaming Awards in Hamburg, Germany.
Testimonials
As I get older, I lament the lack of opportunities to be silly, to have fun, and to act like a child again. However, the itch to do all of these things was satisfyingly scratched when Alistair brought The Incredible Playable Show to Norwich Games Festival in May 2025.
Whether it was the group of stakeholders, sponsors, games industry professionals and students at the Launch Party event, or at the public weekend family show, the audience had such a fun-filled and immersive experience and loved the opportunity to connect to different people.
I’m already planning the next event and can’t wait to get Alistair involved!
Booking one of Alistair’s shows is always a guarantee for creative, chaotic fun! Because, yes, there is a method to the madness, a sound plan that keeps ticking away in the background and can always be implemented if needed – but arguably the best part of Alistair’s performances is how relentlessly committed he is to inviting participation and following through on ideas from the audience. That creates the kind of creative and spontaneous situations that can only ever happen by engendering just the right set of circumstances.
Alistair’s own stage persona also plays a big part here: He’s an unfailingly charming host who manages to make you feel safe and confident to be playful, because every laugh will be in good fun, and only ever at his expense.
Very much recommended! Will definitely book again!
The Incredible Playable Show was the perfect way to launch this year’s Norwich Games Festival and we’d work with Alistair again in a heartbeat! Alistair’s energy, humour, and boundless creativity all fed into an entertaining show that transformed a crowd of reserved onlookers into enthusiastic participants. The result was buckets of laughing, shouting, shoving, and playing in the most unexpected of ways.
The Incredible Playable Show is a rare spectacle I’d encourage everyone to go see and be a part of. The performance blends theatre, games, and improvisation so seamlessly into a form that is fun, innovative, and unashamedly silly. Everything is made by Alistair himself, which is a window into the weird and wonderful creative mind of the showman himself, making the show truly unique.
I’ve worked with Alistair on a few different projects, and without exception, from the first meeting Alistair radiates creativity and excitement. Whether it is an existing project that Alistair created himself, or to in the creation of a bespoke show for the festival, his enthusiasm combined with professionalism gives you the feeling that whatever it is you’re going to do, it’s going to be good.
During the show, Alistair is a master in portraying his characters. Completely indulging in his role, he not only is a captivating host, but makes the audience itself feel excited and safe to join in. He makes sure that everyone who wants to, gets a space and time to contribute, without it feeling pushed or forced.
Joining a show by Alistair is an experience that you will remember fondly.
Niels F Rodenburg, Events Manager – The Overkill Festival, NL
Circus, Digital, Physical Theatre
Additional Areas of Focus
Family Friendly, Participatory
