An exciting performance space, Bacchanalia uses the basement crypt of an old church in Bethnal Green to create an immersive performance telling the story of Dionysus’ return. Using a strong physical performance vocabulary, the performers move between multiple areas while the audience, clad in black capes, are allowed reign to roam and watch where they like. There are scenes which overlap that serve one another, however there are also times where the sound bleed from one room to another is more distraction than support. Despite strong work by all performers, I found it hard to find space to watch, or to hold attention outside the the group scenes. There also seemed to be a few red herring scenes, objects or plot lines introduced that went nowhere.
On the whole, a fun experience, but with its heavy reliance on the techniques of Punchdrunk who have made great strides in the immersive space, it is hard to see that this production brought anything new to the discourse of immersive theatre.