A pair of glasses that displays real-time theatre dialogue in your field of vision may sound futuristic, but Het Nationale Theater is currently testing this AI-powered tool during the Holland Festival. Developed in collaboration with Canadian company XRAI, the smart glasses use AI to transcribe and translate speech almost instantly.

The text remains fixed in a specific area of view and is controlled by a device tethered to the glasses. While still in a trial phase with festival donors, the theatre hopes to roll out the glasses more broadly next season, especially for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and non-Dutch-speaking audiences.

Despite its potential, the technology isn’t perfect: network issues can cause lags, and some figurative language may be mistranslated. Project lead Monique Rutten stresses the glasses are a support tool—not a replacement for professional interpreters.

The AI glasses offer a more accessible and cost-effective alternative to traditional surtitles, especially for smaller theatre productions. Other Dutch theatres in the nonprofit sector will soon be able to use the technology at a discounted rate.