At first glance, the site looks unremarkable: a cluster of shipping containers tucked away in Stratford. Step closer, though, and you realise these boxes are portals. Each one conceals a different world, waiting to be unlocked not by sight, but by sound.
Darkfield's productions are built on a simple but radical idea: remove vision entirely, and let the rest of your senses take over. Once the lights go out, you're plunged into absolute darkness—so complete you can't even see your own hand. From there, binaural audio and subtle physical effects take the lead, crafting environments that feel startlingly real. A whisper brushes your ear, a door slams somewhere behind you, a gust of air signals a shift in space. It's theatre stripped to its bones, and yet it feels more alive than most fully staged productions.
Each container houses a different experiment in perception and storytelling. Some are playful, others unsettling, but all of them demand that you surrender control and trust your imagination.
FLIGHT
Inside a meticulously recreated airplane cabin, you're taken on a journey that plays with the “many worlds” theory of quantum mechanics. Two realities unfold simultaneously, each with its own possible outcome. The result is a tense, disorienting ride that provokes both adrenaline and existential reflection. It's unnerving, clever, and leaves you questioning the fragile boundary between safety and catastrophe.
COMA
This piece places you in a stark clinical facility, complete with the sterile smell of antiseptic and rows of white bunks. You lie down, joining others in what feels like a mass medical experiment. What begins with calm detachment slowly morphs into something far more sinister. COMA is chilling in its exploration of vulnerability and bodily autonomy, and its slow build makes the eventual unease all the more powerful.
ARCADE
ARCADE is the most playful of the four, though no less thought-provoking. Styled like an interactive 80s video game, you assume the role of a character (mine was bizarrely named “MILK”) and navigate a branching storyline full of absurd, violent, and surreal twists. Multiple lives allow you to restart and explore different paths, meaning no two experiences are the same. It's chaotic, funny, and strangely profound in its exploration of free will and consequence.
EULOGY
Set in a dreamlike hotel, EULOGY is the most abstract of the quartet. The sound design is as immaculate as ever, but the narrative feels less focused, leaving more confusion than clarity. While still atmospheric and enjoyable on a sensory level, it doesn't quite land with the same impact as the others, which linger long after you leave.
Darkfield is an experiment in perception. By stripping away sight, it forces you to confront sound, sensation, and imagination in ways that feel startlingly real. Each container offers a different lens on fear, choice, and mortality, and together they form a collection that lingers long after you've stepped back into daylight.
It's not always comfortable, and it's certainly not conventional, but that's the point. Darkfield thrives on disorientation, on making you question what's real and what's imagined. If you're curious, adventurous, or simply tired of predictable theatre, this is an experience that will jolt you awake.
Step inside, surrender to the dark, and see what your mind creates.
It runs until 2 November.