An Interview with co-creator and writer/director Krish Natarajan – Bakchormeeboy

This October, Sight Lines Entertainment returns with the fourth edition of Crack the Case, the immersive theatrical escape game series that has captivated audiences since 2023. In its latest instalment, The Dreamcatcher, invites participants into the fractured subconscious of a suspected terrorist in a futuristic biotech city, where puzzles, performances, and choices intertwine to shape the story, with an experience that promises a thrilling blend of mystery, theatre, and interactive play.

At the helm of this ambitious production is writer and director Krish Natarajan, co-creator of Crack the Case. With The Dreamcatcher, Natarajan continues to push the boundaries of immersive storytelling, crafting a world where audiences are not just passive spectators but active participants. In this interview, Krish shares insights into the creative process, the challenges of balancing narrative with gameplay, and what makes The Dreamcatcher a unique entry in the growing landscape of experiential theatre.

Bakchormeeboy: You’ve co-created Crack the Case and have been there since the start. What makes Dreamcatcher so different from past editions, especially regarding rhythm, tension, and release when structuring the show so that the audience can both follow the story and solve?

Krish: I think for starters it isn’t a murder mystery so the way audiences look out for information and experience the story will be more open-ended rather than just looking for the killer. 

This is more similar to Mindhunter, the very first edition of Crack The Case in which the audience watches fragments of scenes play out around them. This experience follows the 3-act structure of most narratives and so I’m hoping audiences can follow the journey of the protagonists more clearly despite the obfuscations of a “Dreamscape”. 

There are also more puzzles to solve in this edition so in that way- I think if you’re more into the escape room aspect of our experience there’s something in it for you but also if you totally disengage with the “cracking of the case” I still think you will be presented with a sensory immersive theatrical experience.

Bakchormeeboy: Your past work with Patch and Punnet has leaned towards more whimsical and playful. What drew you toward the more suspense-driven, psychological territory of The Dreamcatcher? What are some of your favourite mystery stories (book, film, or play)?

Krish: I still love that whimsy, but am also a big fan of thrillers and mysteries and have been since the first crack the case really.  I’m a big fan of shows like Black Mirror, Broadchurch and Hannibal – also a big fan of movies that really make you hold your breath and unsettle you- most recently I watched Weapons and it was brilliant. 

But I think one thing both have in common (hopefully!!) is that behind the laughs/gag/thrills/mystery there is something being said and a provocation being made.

Bakchormeeboy: The premise of the show involves delving into a suspect’s subconscious – where did the seed of that idea come from, and could you tell us more about your inspiration behind it and how you transform something so abstract into theatrical form?

Krish: Setting the show “in someone’s mind” gives us the place to play with symbols, memory and emotions – it allows us to feed audience information whilst also obscuring some information. It also allows us to bend reality which I find really fun. 

In the context of Crack The Case as well,  puts us in a scenario where one person has the answers and nobody else does. So the device of the dreamscape allows for us to excavate for history, motive and clues from the source itself.

Bakchormeeboy: Goodman Arts Centre is a unique venue. How did the space influence the design or staging of this production, and how much research and walking the ground was needed to fully utilise its potential? Were there any surprising challenges faced during the creation of this piece?

Krish: Essentially a black box was performing as it allows us flexibility to change the space and “project” his fragmented brain onto the space. We did some walkthroughs which allowed us to find how we can fully maximise the space- I won’t say too much. But I would say we have fully utilised the potential of the black box haha

Bakchormeeboy: The Dreamcatcher seems to explore not just “what” happened but also “whose side will you be on.” What excites you about introducing moral ambiguity into an interactive format, and what have been some of the most interesting audience interactions you’ve witnessed (in other interactive theatre works or Crack the Case shows)?

Krish: I think this show deals with morality and justice as a theme- especially during a time like this where truth is obscured and suppressed, it is important to always question both sides of a story. But sometimes, like in the genocidal times we are in, it’s also painfully clear that one side is the oppressor and the other is the oppressed. 

But yes at the end of the show, audiences will be presented with a choice and that is exciting. In one of our past Strawberries Inc’s show, The Secret Life of Haw Par Villa we had a segment called vice city where audiences had to pick 3/6 vices to include in their hypothetical city. So watching them debated over value systems and what they deem as moral and immoral was quite interesting! 

Bakchormeeboy: What’s the strangest dream you’ve ever had? If you had a chance to enter someone else’s dream, whose would it be and why?

Krish: I had this recurring dream as a kid where I’d walk into this hawker centre with these rowdy beer uncles who I offended, but they were all Uruk-hai (from Lord of the Rings) then once Uruk-Hai uncle started chasing me and then I run and reach a junction. There, I take a right and I hide under a dumpster. I see the Uruk-Hai uncle stop at the junction. Beat. He turns right and his eyes lock in on mine under the dumpster. And the dream ends 

If I could be in any one’s dream it would be any of the world leaders right now so I could shower their subconscious with the love and empathy they probably lack. 

Bakchormeeboy: As an all-round theatre-maker (actor, writer, director), do you feel each discipline feeds the others? What are some ideas you’d like to explore in future?

Krish: Yes definitely, I mean I feel everytime I do a project I learn more about each component. Being an actor and working with directors like Tze Chien and the performing the words of Thomas, Yan, Weish, Terrence or whoever, makes me learn and naturally grow. 

I have so many ideas. I do have a patch and punnet return planned in 2026, with a play that is in the oven. 

My ultimate theatrical experience goal is to curate a village where audiences are “video game” characters going on main quests, side quests and immersing themselves in this fictional fantasy world. But URA need to start being more trusting and ambitious for something like that to ever happen here lol 

Bakchormeeboy: Ultimately, how do you hope audiences will feel after this experience, and how do you hope it affects them beyond a one off entertainment experience?

Krish: While I want them to have fun, I want them to also be provoked in some shape or form. I hope they can resonate with the story whilst also being engaged and entertained – and I hope it also changes the way they see going to theatre and that Singapore’s scene has diversity.

The Dreamcatcher plays from 3rd to 25th October 2025 at Goodman Arts Centre. Tickets available from Sistic. Watch the trailer here