Little Lark of London

“Drink it in, drink it up – Till you’ve drowned in the light, in the sound”

Everyone has dreamed of getting to be a part of one of their favourite stories. Whether it’s dancing at one of Bridgerton’s balls or exploring space with characters from The Guardians of the Galaxy, immersive experiences have been able to bring audience members as close as possible to this dream, allowing them to escape the real world – if only for a few hours. Masquerade takes this concept and applies it to one of the world’s most famous musicals – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Groups of about sixty people at a time are invited to attend a masquerade ball (including a strict dress code of black, white and/or silver and a mask) at the “Opera Populaire” in Paris. With new groups of audience members entering every fifteen minutes for the two-hour production, each “pulse” has a different cast (with ensemble members taking on multiple roles), leading to a new experience for every time slot one chooses. While the show begins with Madame Giry (an incredible Betsy Morgan) as the host, the show quickly turns into a retelling of the classic musical – this time from the perspective of The Phantom (Cooper Grodin) himself. Audience members find themselves going deeper and deeper into the opera house, beginning to unravel its secrets along with Christine Daae (Francesca Mehrotra).

Fans of immersive theatre might be asking themselves one question in particular – just how immersive is Masquerade? It’s a difficult question for one to answer. Masquerade doesn’t allow audience members to have full autonomy over their movements, like Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, but it takes a promenade-style performance to another level. There are times when audience members are seated to watch scenes, but at other moments, they are invited to explore a particular area of the set, interacting with different characters based on their own interests. There are a few moments in which one might find themself whisked away by a character extending a hand out to them, but the majority of the experience is with the entire “pulse” present.

And fear not, fans of Phantom – everything that made the stage production iconic is in this new immersive world, from the gondola during “Phantom of the Opera” to the infamous chandelier. More backstory is given to the Phantom himself, with pieces of lore being lifted from Gaston Leroux’s original novel from 1910. While some characters, like Meg Giry (Kaley Ann Voorhees) and, arguably, Raoul (Paul Adam Schaefer), are given smaller roles than in the stage musical, this allows for more character development for the central characters, especially the Phantom, who is even portrayed as a younger version of himself (Kody Jauron). There are also some numbers and scenes that fans might be surprised to see, including a particularly immersive carnival scene hosted by Anna Monoxide, Renée Renata Bergan and Rawb Lane.

The show’s performers, especially the ensemble (Baby Byrne, Gabriella Enriquez, Maxfield Haynes, Nathan Keen, Joseph Kerr, Jacob Lacopo, Dario Natarelli, Charles Osborne, Cooper Stanton, Olivia Tarchick, Kevin Zambrano), do a fantastic job of telling the story, often interacting with audience members by holding their hand and guiding them into the next scene, or even directly having conversations with them, like the opera’s co-managers, André (Matthew Curiano) and Firmin (Jeremy Stolle), and Carlotta (Claire Leyden) gossiping with audience members over the Phantom’s letters. There is so much movement, however, that audience members miss many of the details created by the incredible team, including some truly spectacular props designed by Kathy Fabian and set pieces developed by Scott Pask. 

The main highlight of Masquerade is, as one might expect, the musical numbers. As co-creator (with Diane Paulus, also the director) and composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber is truly in his element during the more musical moments. The production’s rendition of “Masquerade” is truly stunning, with the incredible combination of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s choreography, Gypsy Snider’s acrobatic design, Emilio Sosa’s costumes, Skylar Fox’s magic and visual effects and the sound design of Brett Jarvis crashing together in a magical moment. 

An unexpected highlight is Sami Merdinian’s performance as the Violinist, who starts off the show with some beautiful music before audiences are transported into the world of the Phantom. Merdinian returns several times throughout the rest of the show, later appearing in the most unexpected of places – though dedicated fans of Phantom might be able to guess where. Some more live instruments throughout the performance would have been appreciated, but one can appreciate that this may have been difficult with multiple casts and audiences rotating throughout the space at the same time.

Ultimately, Masquerade is an incredible feat of theatre that takes Webber’s musical to the next level, allowing audiences to become a part of a world that many have become familiar with over the decades. Each cast member gives an unforgettable performance, enhanced by the work of the unseen creative team. Whether one is missing Sleep No More or simply looking for a new take on one of the world’s most popular musicals, they’re in for a mysterious and magical night out. 

Masquerade is currently running until 5 July. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.