Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate
Before we exit the elevator to begin our descent into hell, our guide hands us each a white mask and sets out three instructions: 1) Do not remove the mask under any circumstances, 2) Do not speak, and 3) Do explore.
With that, I enter the world of The Drowned Man, Punchdrunk Theatre's "immersive" experience, and this decade's new cult classic.
Mature Audiences Only:
So reads the warning on the National Theatre's Website, and very rarely has the M-word carried so much weight. The fairly traditional NT is serving as co-producer, and its warning is an important one to understand: this "play" requires an open mind, a loss of inhibition, and a very brave spirit. If you're not prepared for (or even relish) unsettling experiences, this is not for you. The most courageous should also, to maximise the experience, go into it with a very minimum of advance knowledge.
So, what can I say about this very loose adaptation of Buchner's Wozzeck, without spoiling the experience?
This is in some ways the easiest to share, as its core is completely laid out for the audience before the show even begins. Echoing Wozzeck, we are informed that we are about to experience two concurrent story-lines: in each, a betrayed lover enacts brutal vengeance before meeting a very watery fate.
The truly spoiler-averse should stop reading here, but it's probably fair to reveal that this is not a normal theatrical experience. Playing out more like a haunted house (or a video game (more on that in a bit)), what you're actually doing is exploring a completely open world laid out across four massive levels and a labyrinthine network of sets. These range from the minuscule (hidden rooms abound) to the gigantic (full neighbourhoods, the interiors of large buildings, and so on), all of which offer glimpses into an even more labyrinthine set of narratives that's being acted out by a cast of 40-odd dancer-actors.
Now, it's easy enough to just spend the night following one character after another as they make their way around the world, and that's one way to see a fair amount of the plot and sets. However, you'd be remiss if you didn't also spend some time wholly on your own (surprisingly easy to do), summoning up the courage to head off the beaten path and seek out, almost Easter-like, the (dark, creepy) treats awaiting the courageous adventurer. It really is like a video game world, where as the outsider you're free to wander through the lives, homes, and settings of the characters. You're free to paw through characters' belongings, digging through drawers, opening letters (which often reveal interesting plot details), and getting up close and personal in a way theatre never permits. At times, there is almost a feeling that you're the haunter, and the actors the haunted: Every time a character sets aside a personal article, and some faceless audience member picks it up for a quick inspection before the character comes back, it's definitely a strange moment.
The Set:
Is as important as the plot, if not more so, and all I'm willing to reveal is that if you've ever wanted to explore Twin Peaks, this is the closest you'll get.
A Sense of Dissatisfaction:
The show has taken some flack for being too obscure, its narrative too hard to piece together, an "Emperor's New" Play, so to speak. To this I say: you're missing the point if you expect to get at the whole story. Indeed, the pleasure of the experience is in only getting a glimpse of this strange new world, ever-so-briefly inhabiting a space where you know full well that there is so much more going on. Yes, when it ended, I did feel a vague sense of disappointment that I'd seen so little of the world (whole rooms and characters, apparently), but is there any fault in theatre that makes you want to see it again?
Some tips:
DO go with a friend so you can compare notes afterwards.
DON'T stay with your friend the whole night.
DO push boundaries: there is very little against the rules, and there are very carefully placed staff in place to prevent you from doing anything too stupid.
DO follow some of the tertiary characters. It becomes pretty obvious who the main narrative agents are (and tempting to only stick with them), but you risk missing out on an exceptional (and potentially intimate) moment with a security guard, secretary, seamstress, or any one of the other characters that populate the world.
Finally:
DO go see it. Provided you have an open mind, it's an experience you'll never forget.
