Little Lark of London

“Follow the light”

Written by Daisy Johnson and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter, Viola’s Room takes audience members on a journey based on The Moon Slave, a short story by Barry Pain. This is a new venture from Punchdrunk, conceived, directed and designed by Felix Barrett, which lacks several things that have made the company’s shows iconic – white masks, nonlinear stories and performers. Instead, audiences are wearing headphones, are following a linear narrative and see no actors. It’s a jump in quite possibly the opposite direction that had been set by The Burnt City, even though it still takes place in the same space in Woolwich (eagle-eyed Punchdrunk fans might be able to figure out where they are in the former world of Mycenae.

Before entering the show itself, audience members are told to remove their shoes and socks, placing them in boxes and then cleaning their feet with spray bottles and towels. You are given instructions on how to use the headphones (provided by partner Brewers & Wilkins) and what to do if there are any issues, being told to follow the lights and stay in your group of six. After a few moments of silence, a light above the door flickers on and we begin our journey. We find ourselves in a bedroom straight out of the 1990s, with pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio on the mirror and 90s music playing. The cloud lights above us begin to dim, and the story begins. 

I will not be going into any major spoilers on the show itself, but I would highly recommend reading The Moon Slave before going in as it gives you some context that helps you understand the journey you are going on. The tale brings audiences into the life of Princess Viola, who finds herself being compelled to dance under the moon to escape the troubles of her life. It is a fascinating mix of the modern and ancient as audience members are transported between the 1990s and an unknown time in the past, one that belongs to fairytales. 

Fellow Director Hector Harkness and Designer Casey Jay Andrews have done a fantastic job with the space that they have been given, creating some truly spectacular show scenes that I was not expecting from this production. Without going into too many spoilers, as it is truly something that must be experience in order to understand it, there are some set pieces that had my jaw dropped, as well as several subtle jump scares and hidden secrets that some audience members may catch while others may simply pass them by while following the journey. 

Sound Designer Gareth Fry has created a truly spectacular auditory journey, with the noise cancelling headphones making one feel as though they are in the room with the sounds that they are hearing – I took off my headphones for a few seconds to double-check that the sound wasn’t being piped in through speakers in the room itself! Fry’s sound is paired with the Lighting Design of Simon Wilkinson, which helps bring the story to life as audience members are constantly told to follow the lights and it feels magical to be chasing the glow provided by a range of light sources throughout the show. 

Unfortunately, while there are some truly incredible standout moments, the majority of Viola’s Room is walking around in the dark, surrounded by tarps while trying to figure out the story that is being told. One of the best aspects of previous Punchdrunk shows like Sleep No More and The Burnt City is that audience members are able to spend their time exploring and taking in even the smallest details. In Viola’s Room, there is a feeling that you constantly need to be moving, which causes anxiety when there are delays in between scenes and you and other audience members are simply standing in silence, wondering whether you should move forward into the next space or not.  Quite a few scenes also simply felt like placeholders, moments that could have been filled with more context to the show or more details for the audience to explore. 

There are several moments that are affected by the other audience members along for the journey with you. I was in a full group of six people and there were several times in which I missed key visual elements of the story, particularly those told through moving shadows and props. There were also moments in which I had people pushing into me, which was not an enjoyable experience and took away from the suspense and loneliness that is meant to be brought out by the narration. I also did not feel like the shoeless aspect of the show had much of an impact on it as a whole and did not love having to put on my socks after cleaning my feet with water after exiting. 

Some more context in the bar and entrance like The Burnt City, which had a family tree of characters, would have enhanced the show as a whole, providing more information on an already strange and potentially confusing tale. While the new bar, The Prop Store, is a treasure trove for Punchdrunk fans, it feels a bit empty compared to its predecessor, PEEP, especially with modern music playing that fails to bring audience members into the atmosphere of the world they are about to enter.

Ultimately, Viola’s Room brings an interesting new concept to the world of Punchdrunk, but it feels trapped between being scary or not, never truly establishing feelings of fear but also not guaranteeing a sense of comfort for audience members. 

Viola’s Room runs until 18 August at One Cartridge Place, Woolwich. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.