WHAT: The Burnt City
WHO: Punchdrunk
WHEN: March – 4th December, 2022
WHERE: One Cartridge Place (1 Cartridge Pl, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6ZR)
PRICE: £55+
OUTDOORS: No
OUR RATING: Do It!
One of the highlights of being a reviewer is the ability to witness the unusual, the mystical, the bewitching. Our immersive theatre journey began over a decade ago and we have been both audience, producer, director, and performer across many projects. Back in 2013, we were fortunate enough to see Punchdrunk’s The Drowned Man, which was, for us, a formative moment of wonder in our theatrical education. As such, we were eager to experience their newest production, The Burnt City, a reimagining of the paramount moments of the Trojan War. Immersive theatre should not be spoiled by revealing too much, so forgive us if this review is a little more general than you’re used to.
Adam: It is undoubted that The Burnt City is a monumental undertaking. From the moment you enter, one is thrust into the past, traversing the millennia through literal museum displays into the vibrant and disturbing world of the Trojan War. You are enveloped in this world, and although the theming may be modern, the ancient details shine through; the neon glow of Mycenaean Linear B inscriptions dappling entrances in eerie brightness.
The archaeological remnants scattered about mirror the fractured storytelling, allowing the audience to piece together the narrative as if a shattered vase. Typical of Punchdrunk, this is a promenade performance arranged over an enormous area, which means you must have dogged determination to see everything (and, even then, it’s quite possible to miss certain scenes). The individual must interpret the vignettes as best they can, so it is very useful to have foreknowledge of the Trojan War, its heroes, villains, and voyages, before attending so as to get the best possible experience.
Adding to the sense of veil between yourself, the performers, and indeed the audience, is the traditional “plague” mask that Punchdrunk requires patrons to wear. This gives added anonymity to your interactions, making it easier to lose yourself (and your compatriots, if you so desire) and have a more individual experience. In those encounters, you start to piece the scattered storytelling together through interactions with those fragments left behind in war, the abandoned spaces, or the sudden rush of a troop towards you.
The all-encompassing nature of The Burnt City means this production is true to its name. As we would expect, immaculate attention has been paid to the details of set, props, and lighting, though it is notable that the variety of spaces present in previous Punchdrunk works does seem absent. For the best experience, we recommend you book as early a slot as possible, for only with time and exploration can you uncover the full nature of this epic. You are in for a stunning dive into a tragic-heroic world that leaves no stone unturned, nor path untrodden. Take risks, explore, and always push on that closed door…
Alicia: Immersive theatre doesn’t start from curtains up. It starts from the moment you enter the event venue, and ends when you step back into the real world. Upon going into the building there was immediately a rather hostile atmosphere created by the front of house staff, an almost bully-ish nature directing us here and there: a judgemental edge to every interaction. And this wasn’t a thematic decision, this was a stressed out staff transferring onto audience members, creating an unfortunate environment before we even entered the world of The Burnt City. Perhaps they were overwhelmed, and that wouldn’t be surprising due to the large numbers of audience members entering every second and creating queues throughout the space. Unfortunately, we weren’t treated any better upon leaving, with instructions being barked at us up until the point of exiting the venue.
Putting front-of-house aside, let’s get to the meat of it all. Of course our expectations for this event were high – The Drowned Man was one of the best theatrical creations we’d ever seen, and the ticket price for The Burnt City naturally reflects this. But, in the end, it suffered from a weak narrative. They attempted to set the scene for the audience with a display and information boards like a museum, but with crowds and queues, we felt rushed in the preparation stages and overwhelmed by both the amount of people around us and the quantity of information we had to read and take in. And, unfortunately, the performance itself, as well as the distinction between the two different worlds presented by the company, was often confusing. One of the strangest elements was the beautiful soundscape – but sadly sometimes there would be huge builds and swells in the music with nothing much going on, and vice versa.
Let me be clear: the level of detail and the physicality of the performances were amazing. The lighting and soundscape were steps above what we remember in The Drowned Man and added astonishing depth to the world-building. And there were some strong final scenes, a brilliant use of the unique venue in a subtle site-specific way, and real passion, energy and talent from all the performers. Of course it was stunning, it really was, but it was also confounding and a bit bereft of that magic we felt from their past performances.
Final Thoughts: This is magical worldcrafting that breaks all boundaries. If you are unfamiliar with Punchdrunk, this performance is the perfect introduction. If you have attended before, we still highly recommend The Burnt City despite our critiques, which come from a place of love for the company and their astounding productions.
P.S.: True immersion is a rare occurrence, but for a similar level of high-quality and enthralling production, we recommend you check out The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
