The Angle Podcast

In this episode of The Angle, we talk to South African actor and immersive performer Marinda Botha about her journey from traditional theatre and voice acting to global VR stages like Raindance and SXSW. With more than two decades in stage performance, Marinda is now one of the leading voices in live virtual theatre — a niche within a niche — where actors perform in immersive digital spaces like Resonite and VRChat. We explore the evolution of her career, the technical realities of putting on a virtual show, and the philosophical tension between access, liveness, and preservation. From Alien Rescue to Symbiosis/Dysbiosis, Marinda unpacks the craft of creating interactive storytelling worlds — and what’s needed for this work to thrive in South Africa. Whether you're into VR, performance, or just curious about the future of live entertainment — this is a must-listen. Chapters / Timecodes: 00:00 – Intro & Marinda’s background 03:45 – From theatre to VR: how it started 06:10 – Alien Rescue: 100+ live shows in VR 09:30 – The process: scripting, worldbuilding, blocking 13:10 – Platforms: why she works in Resonite 15:30 – Audience reactions & what immersion really feels like 18:40 – Can VR Theatre ever be financially sustainable? 22:00 – Theatre vs. VR: coexistence, not competition 25:00 – Discoverability and archiving in VR 28:30 – The case for collaboration with movie theatres 30:10 – Access, hardware, and the African context 32:00 – Advice for South African creators 34:45 – Streaming podcast episodes inside virtual worlds? 35:30 – What’s next: Raindance, SXSW & beyond #VRTheatre, #ImmersiveStorytelling, #VirtualReality, #RaindanceImmersive, #LivePerformance, #CreativeTechnology, #Resonite, #DigitalTheatre, #TheAnglePodcast, #SouthAfricanCreators