[THEATRE REVIEW] SMITHSONIAN STARSTRUCK @ Level 1, 206 Bourke Street Review (2026)
With so many stars and planets in the universe, why is Earth the only one we know of so far that can support a preponderance of human life?
That is a question answered categorically in the interactive and immersive virtual reality experience Smithsonian Starstruck.
Developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is an invitation to explore distant galaxies.
In fact, there is an abundance of information, coupled with stunning, wrap around visualisations, involved in the 40-minute, free-roaming exercise.
In it, you drift among galaxies to experience the immense scale of the universe, explore the Milky Way and witness massive solar flares.
My personal fancy was an exploration of Janssen, otherwise known as the Diamond Planet.
It is an extreme exoplanet (a planet located beyond our solar system) characterised by molten lava flows and glittering diamond formations.
Another highlight is seeing a dramatic supernova (being the explosion of a massive star).
In this case, they contemplate the death of Betelgeuse, many hundreds of light years away from Earth.
This enables a conversation about how dying stars create the building blocks for future stars and planets … and, in turn, life.
We have all heard of black holes, which have so much gravitational pull that nothing, not even light, can escape. In Starstruck, we stand on the edge of one and learn more.
The journey begins as patrons are fitted with solid, virtual reality headsets that provide both sight and sound. If you wear glasses, it allows for them too.
You are then giving riding instructions about how the experience will play out – namely where to walk and when to know you have gone too far.
You are accompanied on your trip by transparent celestial beings.
One of the coolest things is witnessing your own body transformed into a see-through Avatar. Remember to point your arms out and take a look.
At various junctures, the interactive nature of the conceit means you can press virtual buttons to “move” elements of the picture and even take snapshots.
Smithsonian Starstruck incorporates several written descriptors, giving more detail about what you are viewing.
It has a documentary feel to it and contains a plethora of scientific information, expressed in language even I – who never studied science – can understand.
It is a close up look at the beyond, aboard the world’s most powerful space telescopes, using real astronomical data to create an eye-opening feel.
It combines storytelling with technology to engage, entertain and educate.
No longer do we have to wait for Captain James T. Kirk (Star Trek) to utter the immortal words “Beam Me Up, Scotty”.
Smithsonian Starstruck has made that possible, at least in a form, in the here and now.
Recommended for those age 10+, for more information and to buy tickets, go to https://smithsonianstarstruck.com/melbourne/
Review by Alex First