Punchdrunk’s Silverpoint

Immersive theatre is in it’s peak of popularity right now.
And that’s not always a great thing.
Popularity by itself is not a bad thing, mind you. And immersive theatre is worth the hype. It’s a performance unlike anything you’ve seen or what you saw when you were young. The show, by definition, happens around you and instead of sitting passively in your seat, you play a role, you become part of it, the show cannot happen without you.
That is, at least, when it’s done well. Again, with the popularity of immersive theatre it means that, now, everyone is trying to be immersive. Too many shows that work fine as 2D, viewer in seat, actors on stage, are now forced into becoming 360 degrees all around you, but without the heart, soul and knowledge to pull it off. And you end up feeling let down and with a sore neck from trying to look at too many things at once.
Not everyone can do it. But Punchdrunk, who have always been on the forefront of this genre, can.
And do.
And it’s going to be amazing, one of the most memorable thing you’ll ever do. Always. Even with flaws, you’ll never forget it.
When I learned there was going to be a Punchdrunk app, their first of it’s kind, I was psyched. Because I knew it was going to be more than just hitting buttons on your screen, and holy hell was I right.
The game started simply. A girl named Chloe had gone missing, and slowly you begin to figure out clues about what happened (although with all Punchdrunk shows, you never really get any clear cut answers). You played a simple matching game on the app on your phone to move up levels and learn more about the story.
But of course, this is where things got twisted. Emails came to you with messages about Chloe. Mysterious texts appeared on your screen. You were sent to a bar where I was handed an Absolut cocktail (who were sponsoring the game) and told to call a phone number. I thought it would be an automated message but I had a real conversation with a real woman and it was both intimate and terrifying.
In the last days of the game, there were two offline experiences. The first was simple, a casual conversation in a hairdressers that, again, became very intimate (with the woman eventually touching my hands and taking a piece of my hair.)
The final one, though, was something completely different. Lead into a basement, following Chloe’s path, you were escorted by hooded figured in the dark. There were thunderous sounds, swinging lightbulbs and a creature in a pit. It was terrifying, visceral, heart-​thumping, heart-​crushing, and I loved every minute of it.
And after that ordeal, they brought you to an old-​timey bar and gave you more free cocktails.
There were a few issues with the game. The technology didn’t always work right and it didn’t go as smoothy as everyone would like. Also the game did get a little repetitive towards the end and if I wasn’t playing it to see what would happen next, I would have stopped playing it a while ago. Still, these are small complaints for something this amazing, free and fun.
And so immersive theatre is probably only going to be more popular in the time to come. If you do go see something, make sure you see it done right. If Punchdrunk’s name is on the tin, you’ll know it will be.