Creatives Tom Black, Eddie Evans, Ellie Russo and Joe Ball have adapted an online COVID-19 design into a thought-provoking, compelling, Daedalian piece of immersive theatre.
The concept of the game and what the company has created has perfectly married great storytelling with effective audience agency. You are immersed from the moment you meet Chris Adams (Joe Ball) in the foyer and are casually escorted to a nondescript office boardroom and shown a presentation.
The set dressing and prop use is wonderfully convincing when matched with the simple, relevant, and relatable abstraction of a remote jury service after a global pandemic.
You can even forgive the unrealistic necessity of exciting game mechanics, like the use of phones, and the fact that the jury has a hands-on opportunity to crack the case for the Ministry of Justice because the set-up is pitched at a great pace and gravity.
The use of digital counterparts in this production is intelligent, imaginative, and seamless. There is so much for the audience to play with and yet not overwhelmingly. The miscellaneous items and investigative avenues available make a complex story accessible to many.
Artistic Director, Joe Ball, facilitated our session as the nonchalant compere. His portrayal was incredibly well-balanced, aiding our investigations without being overbearing or obvious. A subtle character that aided the real-world dynamics projected onto the scene. Eddie Evans as the charged, Harry Briggs, pulled off a startlingly hectic performance from a remote interrogation space. The improvisational skill necessary to lay out the possible truths while being bombarded by an inquisitive audience is commendable.
The pacing of the piece ramps up as the audience becomes more comfortable with their mission for, like all immersive theatre, this game experience is what you make of it. Despite the logical knowledge that this is of course a game that I have volunteered myself for an evening, the end goal felt very emotive as I knew I would have to decide a sentence for this character.
The intricacies of the narrative and the pulling together of people from different backgrounds to decide a stranger's fate make for a confusingly heightened finale. In short, if you like the BBC's The Traitors, you'll love this.
It is currently booking until 27th July 2024. Tickets: here.
Review: Vivienne King