Punchdrunk: Viola’s Room – One Cartridge Place, London

My second foray into Punchdrunk’s immersive worlds. Viola’s Room is bigger on ideas than it was on logistics during my visit.

Viola’s Room

This was my second trip to Punchdrunk‘s new base. I’m lucky that, as a South East Londoner, Woolwich Arsenal is not too far from me. And as I’d bought tickets early, it was an outing I’d been looking forward to for some time.

If you’re not familiar with Punchdrunk or didn’t read my review of The Burnt City, let me tell you a little about them. Founded in 2000, Punchdrunk reimagined immersive theatre. They create whole worlds where the audience rather than performers are at the heart of the action. In The Burnt City, I wandered a timeless Troy, building my own picture as I watched scenes or explored the incredibly detailed environment. As well as these theatrical experiences, Punchdrunk have undertaken projects and collaborations in fashion, TV, VR and more.

Viola’s Room is a little different. The Punchdrunk website describes it as an ‘audio-driven journey’ and ‘gothic mystery’. Rather than exploring and watching performers at your own pace, Viola’s Room sees small groups navigate a darkened space, barefoot and following an audio tale. Lights are your guide, and indicate when to move to the next room. I won’t spoil too much but the narration – a story by Daisy Johnson read by Helena Bonham Carter – is the Gothic mystery, while the physical spaces situate you in a liminal space between dreaming and consciousness.

Let me say first that I loved the concept. It’s a bold idea, and an interesting spin on Punchdrunk’s highly immersive approach. The sensory input as you move through, including under bare feet, is great. However, as the title of the next section indicates, my personal experience of it was let down by logistics.

Logistics: Not to be Overlooked

This manifested in a few ways. First of all, the actual check in experience was a little hectic, and didn’t put me in the right frame of mind. Timing is rigid, and so a late group ahead of me delayed my own entrance into the waiting room. Instructions were given to my group that I couldn’t hear, and by the time I had questions on what to do with my phone that didn’t fit in the provided bag, the staff member was speaking with the next group.

This brings me on to a second point. My feeling is that too many people are passing through, and groups don’t have sufficient space between them. You actually have to move at a fair pace to keep up with the lights, and groups of strangers tend to be a little deferential to each other when moving through a dark, uneven space. We could see the group ahead on a few occasions, and even acquired an additional member at one point. It rather breaks the spell.

And my final point is that there is so much sensory input that I don’t think you can effectively take in the story. You’re looking for the lights, trying to figure out if you’re in the right spot, taking in the different sensory inputs, understanding where you are in terms of the physical storytelling, and listening to a story. I actually can’t give too many spoilers because I can’t remember most of it.

Do I regret my trip? No. I like theatrical (or quasi-theatrical) experiences which are different and challenging. Plenty of others enjoy it (I’ve seen lots of four- and five-star reviews), so it could be that on another day I would have felt differently. And I appreciate the risk-taking in staging something like this. I just hope that, as the run continues, there will be opportunity to refine some of these challenges so visitors can get the most from their time in Viola’s Room.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 2.5/5

Viola’s Room currently booking until 18 August 2024