Immersive theatre pioneers Punchdrunk have revealed details about their latest show - inspired by an obscure horror story about a princess bewitched by an ancient god.
The art group, whose free-flowing shows see audiences choose where they go and what they say, will launch Viola’s Room at the company’s Woolwich HQ in May for a limited run.
Audience members, in small groups of up to six at a time, will be barefoot and wearing headphones while they feel their way through a maze-like set guided by an unseen narrator.
The show, written by Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist Daisy Johnson, is inspired by 20the century writer Barry Pain’s gothic mystery The Moon-Slave.
First published in 1901, the short story tells of a princess who loves to dance and finds herself drawn to a maze where she encounters the ancient god Pan.
Punchdrunk’s last show, The Burnt City, was inspired by the the Greek myths around the fall of Troy and followed other productions inspired by works by Shakespeare and American horror writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Punchdrunk founder Felix Barrett said: “When The Burnt City closed, our laboratory opened, and Woolwich became Punchdrunk’s home to experiment, play and develop - allowing us to prototype long held dreams and new ideas.
“Our ambition over the coming years is to open our doors as never before, offering audiences a chance to experience the evolution of these ideas fromlimited runs to larger-scale works.
“It’s with great excitement that we prepare to welcome audiences to the first project in a new era of Punchdrunk shows, Viola’s Room - an uncharted landscape - a moonlit fever dream.”
Tickets are on sale from http://punchdrunk.com/work/violas-room/
