Review of ‘Viola’s Room’: “It’s only a trick of the light”

The Punchdrunk company opens its latest immersive experience production, featuring walk-through staging and a follow-through narration performed by Helena Bonham Carter. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know how this slumbertime-type recount beds in with its audience.

Let us play a game together. Choose somebody you trust (my words are precious) and ask them to read the upcoming lines out loud. Now, close your eyes – and let me tell you a story. A story about an enchanted castle hidden from view for those who weren’t granted the magic to see it. An adventure set in a place beyond the realm of dreams, where myths and facts merge altogether in an unbreakable spell hovering above its passages. A voyage into the very depths of imagination, where anything could happen and everything will. Now, open your eyes…

Welcome, welcome, welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunt– Sorry, I got a little overexcited there. But to be fair, nobody could blame you if you saw Disney’s masterpiece ride (and two-time Hollywood milk cow failure) and Punchdrunk’s latest immersive walkthrough attraction as kindred spirits… got it? Alright – being dead serious now (oops..), the prospects of you feeling the same levels of instant awe, childlike excitement, and long-lasting bewilderment upon leaving, much in the same way as your first time as a kid, are immensely high. It’s a jaunt in the shadows guided by the flickering specks of light. And it’s that beam of fantasy that actually makes it sparkle.

Darkness falls upon its visitors as Helena Bonham Carter’s soft, raspy voice begins to whisper into their ears. You’ve entered Viola’s Room – a land of joy and sorrow, where the intoxicating scent of eeriness floats amidst its misty, fairy tale air. Nothing stands behind you but the faded remains of an outside world which has now ceased to exist. Before your eyes, a shining path of frisson and venture unfolds. It’s a trip into the other side, a journey into the unknown. A shuddering descent into a sleek abyss of wonder, as the gates towards its daunting trail of illusory truth begin to open.

Just a few steps beyond, a whole new universe of chimerical embodiment solidifies all around. Throughout its hazy corridors, a gripping recount of loss and longing starts to come to life. As the secret corners of this whimsical dimension uncover, the impression of surprise and amazement takes full control on its daring callers. There’s a tale to be told and just one way to tell it. You must move forward. And use the quivering course of light as your guidance. No matter what occurs, no matter what emerges, there’s one single thing to remember: there’s not turning back now.

As the lore continues to unravel, a touch of marvel begins to strike. Twists and turns are bound to be made. And shocks are meant to happen. There’s no scares, but the feel of anticipation is guaranteed to settle as your travel companion all through. Meanwhile, the rest of your senses will fall to the puzzling allure of this intricately crafted montage, where a perfect synchrony of visual and sound effects serve as both foundation and finish to an impeccably crafted stagy reverie. You’re not experiencing theatre. You’re living through it. And, in some paradoxical manner, you’ll go through it as if dropped down inside a film.

As its emotionally blazing climax unfurls, the gleam of normality commences to pour through. The dream is over. The world that only minutes ago we thought forgotten is now again in front of us, while the universe we’ve been dragged into disappears almost as instantly as the lambent glare that once lured us into it. The sensations persist, and the memories start to form. And none of them can bring any other vibe but that rare fulfilling tingle of absolute thrill. We may not know exactly what we’ve experienced, but by all means we know we have experienced it. And if there are any doubts about it, you can always come one more time. But also, if there are not.

All pictures credit to Julian Abrams.

Viola’s Room plays at Punchdrunk, London’s One Cartridge Place, until 18 August. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara