Elizabeth Guilt

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October 30th: Immersive Theatre

Day 30 of my drabble-a-day challenge! Here is today’s drabble:


Immersive Theatre

The actors were impressive. Four of them, matched in height, stripped to the waist and moving in perfect unison. They swayed right, left, right up the staircase. The bound, gagged figure they carried, draped in white silk, was barely noticeable.

They held her aloft, lights strobing, and blood ran realistically down their arms.

I pressed on, through rooms dressed as bedsits. An actor reached out and, breathless, I took his hand. He led me past the pushing, envious crowds and through an unmarked door.

His arm curled round my shoulders, pinning me down. A white dress waited on a hanger.


This afternoon, I schlepped to Woolwich (which, if you live in West London, is all the way over there) to go to Punchdrunk Theatre's latest immersive production, The Burnt City.

Based on the myths of the Trojan War, it was very murdery. As an extreme, free-range promenade production, some of the set piece scenes were played out multiple times. Every so often, a cast member would hold out a hand and lead an audience member away.

The rest of us carried on to the next room, trying to avoid all the fake blood.

I'm pretty sure it was fake blood.