A Brief History of A Christmas Carol VR

Agile Lens has been reimagining Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol through cutting-edge virtual reality since 2021. What began as a hybrid production has evolved into a fully immersive, award-nominated VR experience that continues to push the boundaries of live performance and digital innovation. Here’s a look at how our show has grown each year:

2021 - The Beginning: 

In collaboration with Actors Theater of Louisville (ATL), Agile Lens was brought in to integrate digital characters and environments into ATL’s annual in-person production of A Christmas Carol. Inspired by our earlier work, ATL’s then Artistic Director, Robert Barry Fleming, embraced our proposal to create a fully VR experience of the show. Ari Tarr joined as the virtual cast, and a new tradition was born.

2022 - Going Fully Virtual: 

We transitioned to a VR-only production, with 60% pre-rendered animations and 40% live performance, allowing for nearly seamless transitions between the two. Audiences could experience the show in VR by sideloading an app and using a custom token as their ticket. We also introduced pixel streaming for an interactive 2D experience via the web.

2023 - Fully Live Performance: 

This year marked a significant evolution with the addition of Debbie Deer to the cast, taking on the roles of the Christmas Ghosts. Her presence enabled us to perform the show entirely live, eliminating the need for pre-recorded segments. We also introduced an AI-powered Dickens virtual house manager to enhance the pre-show experience. The production became more accessible through the Epic Games Library, alongside major updates to the design elements.

2024 - Increased Ease for Audience: 

Ari and Debbie returned to bring the story to life once again. The production ran as a free standalone download for Meta Quest and streamed live on YouTube—our smoothest, most high-fidelity season yet.

2025 - Onward to New Frontiers: 

This year, A Christmas Carol VR reached new heights with a special run at the Raindance Immersive Festival, where the production was nominated for Best Immersive Theatre. Performances are now entirely powered on standalone VR, freeing performers from the constraints of PCVR link and allowing them to perform wirelessly inside the virtual world. Built in Unreal Engine 5 and optimized for Meta Quest 3, this season showcases the full maturity of our real-time theatrical pipeline—bringing together actors, audiences, and artistry across continents in one shared space. 

What to Expect This Year

For 2025, we’re proud to present a seamless, high-fidelity VR performance powered exclusively by standalone Meta Quest headsets. The production remains free to download for Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3s, with compatibility for Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

While the interactive desktop experience is not available this year, audiences can still enjoy the show through our beautifully produced YouTube livestreams, captured by our in-house team of artists.

We’re focused on delivering reliability, accessibility, and presence—refining the live VR experience to feel as natural and emotionally resonant as traditional theater.

Stay Connected
Join us in the Discord channel to stay informed about playtests, updates, and new features. You can also find us there during the shows if you have any issues. We love to hear about your experience. Your feedback will directly impact the final version of this year’s production, and you’ll be part of shaping the future of VR performance!

Credits

An Agile Lens Production
Cast: Ari Tarr as Dickens, Scrooge, and Others; Debbie Deer as the Ghosts
Originally produced in association with: Actors Theatre of Louisville
Originally directed by: Robert Barry Fleming
Adapted and Directed for VR by: David Gochfeld
Stage Manager: Michael Morran
Lead Developer: Yu-Jun Yeh
Development Team: Yu-Jun Yeh, Dante Cameron, Marshall Nowak, Noah Bowers & Charles Alexander
Environmental Design: Dante Cameron
Original Music and Sound Design: Katherine Beggs  
Line Producer: Kevin Laibson
Producers: Alex Coulombe, Henry Keyser & Kevin Laibson
Livestream Cinematographer: Jackie Roman
Media Sponsor: Instinctively Real Media
Agile Lens Co-Founding CEO / Creative Director: Alex Coulombe
Agile Lens Co-Founding President:  Joshua Dachs