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Punchdrunk’s The Burnt City (London)
Oct. 13th, 2023 12:40 amIn the smouldering promise of the fall of Troy, a mythical world of gods and mortals rises from the ashes.
As Greece teeters on the brink of victory, the neon backstreets of Downtown Troy give way to a sprawling labyrinth hiding secrets even the prophecies could not foretell.
In this colossal playground, the furies watch on as mortals play out their fate.
And as night falls, the city comes alive.
One last time.
Immersive, interactive theatre; overwhelming and mesmerising all at once. I went to the second-to-last performance and otherwise I would have rebooked immediately.
Anyway. It’s three hours long and takes place in two massive warehouses in Woolwich. One, Mycenae, is a sparse open environment, torn by war, with a few large girders left precariously in the centre; there is a a mezzanine floor for the palace and around the edges of the lower level are white drapes, dividing the space up into any number of smaller, transient, rooms. Much of the floor is sand. It feels old. In contrast, Troy is a maze of rooms (shops, bars, offices…), doors and stairways, with one largish town square that I kept losing and finding again in unexpected directions; it has neon signs and is generally more modern.
In between both is the bar, Peep, where you initially enter and where you can return at any time during the performance; the actors may arrive as well, to drink or take over the stage from the regular performers (Orpheus and the Furies, naturally).
( Very long review, contains spoilers - at least, for what I saw! Heaps more that I missed. )
I felt a little stunned on my way out. I collected my coat and took a boat back to Greenwich, my head crowded with images. I wish I could see it again, with more knowledge, but I’m glad I didn’t read too much in advance and get myself knotted up over trying to be everywhere at exactly the right time. I hope they do something else with the space - there is already a teaser, a hint at another side to come - and I hope I’ll be able to see it, somehow.
As Greece teeters on the brink of victory, the neon backstreets of Downtown Troy give way to a sprawling labyrinth hiding secrets even the prophecies could not foretell.
In this colossal playground, the furies watch on as mortals play out their fate.
And as night falls, the city comes alive.
One last time.
Immersive, interactive theatre; overwhelming and mesmerising all at once. I went to the second-to-last performance and otherwise I would have rebooked immediately.
Anyway. It’s three hours long and takes place in two massive warehouses in Woolwich. One, Mycenae, is a sparse open environment, torn by war, with a few large girders left precariously in the centre; there is a a mezzanine floor for the palace and around the edges of the lower level are white drapes, dividing the space up into any number of smaller, transient, rooms. Much of the floor is sand. It feels old. In contrast, Troy is a maze of rooms (shops, bars, offices…), doors and stairways, with one largish town square that I kept losing and finding again in unexpected directions; it has neon signs and is generally more modern.
In between both is the bar, Peep, where you initially enter and where you can return at any time during the performance; the actors may arrive as well, to drink or take over the stage from the regular performers (Orpheus and the Furies, naturally).
( Very long review, contains spoilers - at least, for what I saw! Heaps more that I missed. )
I felt a little stunned on my way out. I collected my coat and took a boat back to Greenwich, my head crowded with images. I wish I could see it again, with more knowledge, but I’m glad I didn’t read too much in advance and get myself knotted up over trying to be everywhere at exactly the right time. I hope they do something else with the space - there is already a teaser, a hint at another side to come - and I hope I’ll be able to see it, somehow.
