Immersive theatre is something entirely new to me, as I am
sure it is to most people, so after being recommended ‘The Drowned Man’ by
numerous people I decided to allow myself to slip into a another world at
Temple Studios, a breathtaking, boundary-breaking experience which you can’t even
begin to imagine.
After being handed a white mask and a short introduction you
are set loose on 4 floors of (incredible) madness. Ultimately, you follow the
characters you want through the
intricate set design giving the realistic feeling of being in a film studio and
a town, where the two main overlapping stories are set. The two main stories
both parallel each other, and are explained in a slip of paper given to you at
the beginning, but with around twenty characters to follow I think that these
are by no means the best stories; although that is an opinion you will have to
decide for yourself! Most characters
also interact with audience members and even take single audience members into
a separate room (known as 1:1’s) where they expand on their story, a terrifying but exhilarating experience that is very rewarding if you have
followed a character’s whole loop. Finding your way at first seems
disorientating, following characters through endless rooms and settings, but you
quickly get to grips with focusing on a character that interests you.
The set is unbelievable. One moment you will be in a desert,
the next a mirror maze and the next a film studio. Not only are the sets vast
and impressive but they have been created down to the tiniest detail; you can
rummage through draws and files and everything you find will still be precise
and part of the show. The music adds to the incredible set, creating an eerie
and uncomfortable atmosphere but also providing cues for the actors.
Each story is told through a combination of dance and acting
and with no microphones their movement is very important. Mainly a cast of
dancers leads to some of the most captivating movement
sequences I have ever seen which engrosses you in each story in a way you
wouldn't think was possible. You are so close to the action that a personal
atmosphere is created and you feel enchanted by these practically perfect
dances.
The night finishes in the audience bar with a live band,
enhancing the magic of the studios. This is where you come out of the finale, an
astonishing dance number with all the characters which every audience member
watches, and find who you came with. Amazingly you hear about things you never saw, making it impossible not to want to return. Everyone’s experience is individual, as you are told to venture alone
through the studios, so you may hear about characters or rooms you have never
even heard of.
Although some critics have stated that the performance is
‘too difficult to follow’ and ‘the plot is impossible to understand’ you can easily
find and understand characters' stories. The visual aspect of the show; set, lighting,
costumes are all immaculate, the music creates uncertain but mystic atmosphere
and the acting could not be better as each character is so in depth and working
so up close with an audience can’t be easy. Having been three times, with a
fourth visit booked, I could not recommend this show more. Whether you usually enjoy theatre or not, this experience is
too extraordinary and wondrous to miss.
The Drowned Man ends on 6th July 2014.
Book online at nationaltheatre.org
Or call +44 (0)20 7452 3000
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