Live-action role-play (LARP) is a form of immersive interactive performance that combines elements of theater, game-playing, and improvisation. It involves participants physically acting out their characters and interacting with each other and the environment in a fictional world. LARP can be seen as a new performative art that allows for a shared “mimetic evocation of ‘real-life experience'” and provides a playground for exploring and intermingling social and cultural realities.
A key aspect of LARP is immersion, or the ability to fully engage in and become immersed in the fictional world and the role of one’s character. LARP allows players to step outside of their everyday reality and intentionally “undo” certain objects and meanings, space, and even their own bodies in order to create and explore new material-semiotic fabrics.
Live-action role-play (LARP) events can take many forms and can be distinguished by a variety of factors, including genre, the use of simulated weapons or abstract rules, and the way that characters are created or assigned. Some common genres of LARP include fantasy, science fiction, horror, modern day, historical, and semi-historical.
Fantasy LARPs are set in pseudo-historical worlds inspired by fantasy literature and role-playing games, and often feature magic, fantasy races, and limited technology. Science fiction LARPs take place in futuristic settings with high technology and may include extraterrestrial life. Horror LARPs are inspired by horror fiction and may include subgenres such as the Cthulhu Mythos or Vampire the Masquerade. Modern day LARPs can explore everyday concerns or special interests such as espionage or military activity, and may resemble an alternate reality game or a military simulation using live combat. Historical or semi-historical LARPs are set in a specific era and may include mythological or fantastical elements.
There are also a variety of styles of LARP events, including theatre-style, fests, and linear or line-course LARPs. Theatre-style LARP is characterized by a focus on character interaction and an eclectic approach to genre and setting, and often only lasts a few hours. Fests are large events featuring hundreds or thousands of participants split into competing character factions camped around a large venue. Linear or line-course LARPs are smaller events featuring a small group of player characters facing challenges from non-player characters and are often more tightly
LARP can also be seen as a disruptive and creative force, as it allows participants to challenge and play with collateral realities, or realities that are often taken for granted or done implicitly in everyday life, such as national and cultural identities, distinctions between subject and object, or presenter and audience. By making these realities explicit and engaging with them through play, LARP allows for a deeper understanding and exploration of these concepts.
Overall, LARP is a dynamic and interactive form of performance that offers the opportunity for participants to engage in immersive and imaginative experiences, and to creatively explore and challenge social and cultural realities.