Review: BACCHANALIA, Hoxton Hall

After two sold-out runs at The Crypt in 2023, Sleepwalk Immersive’s Bacchanalia and the world of Thebes has returned to London, this time at Hoxton Hall. The show, directed by Sebastian Huang (Artistic Director for Sleepwalk Immersive), takes the story of The Bacchae by Euripedes and places it in the world of the 1960s, mixing Greek tragedy with a kaleidoscope of colours and the soundtrack reminding one of Hair.

While the run at The Crypt was in a cramped and small space, the current run at Hoxton Hall allows the performers and audience members to explore four storeys of the Grade II-listed building, which has been transformed for this show. 

Upon entering Hoxton Hall, audience members drop their coats off in the cloakroom and wait to be collected by one of the hosts. In this waiting area there are posters that give information on content warnings, and audience behaviour guidelines, as well as images to look out for in rooms that are on the step-free track or include flashing lights. There is an option to wear a lanyard if audience members do not want to have interaction with the performers, though it is a little confusing as one sign says to take an orange lanyard and the other says to take a green one. 

Once the time for the show arrives, the audience is invited into the bar, where they wait to enter the city of Thebes. Each audience member is given a black cloak to wear throughout the performance, making it easier to identify the performers who will not be wearing them. Then, a door opens, and we are brought into Thebes by our host, who welcomes us with the rules and a shot (there are non-alcoholic options) before encouraging us to enter the city and explore before the inauguration of Pentheus (Christian Loveless). 

Those who have been to Punchdrunk shows like Sleep No More and The Burnt City will be familiar with the way that Bacchanalia has been set up - and may also recognise some of the performers, who are veterans of the immersive theatre company. Before the show really begins, audience members are given a chance to get accustomed to the space, wandering around Hoxton Hall and getting their bearings before they are pulled into the world of Bacchanalia. I found myself quickly moving over the four storeys of Hoxton Hall, trying to identify the spaces that would be used by particular characters I was interested in seeing. 

The plot is relatively simple, though I would recommend reading a bit (even just the Wikipedia summary) of The Bacchae before seeing the show, as it really does enhance the experience and allows you to understand some of the smaller moments. For those unfamiliar, The Bacchae tells the story of King Pentheus of Thebes who, along with her mother Agave (Fania Grigoriou), is punished by the god Dionysus (Peter Broughton) after refusing to join his cult, claiming that the god is not actually the son of Zeus. Dionysus brings his own brand of chaos to the city, driving characters insane and encouraging violent frenzies. 

In this version, Pentheus is being inaugurated as the Mayor of Thebes and is supported by his mother, who is still grieving after the loss of her father, Cadmus, whose photograph is displayed in many of the rooms alongside campaign posters and advertisements that look transported straight from 1960s America. There is quiet music playing and the set is made up of dull colours, most obviously Pentheus’s suit, a solid grey. But suddenly, there is a change in the music and colour bursts into the room as Dionysus bursts into the room with his followers, making a memorable entrance from the first floor before dashing down the stairs and taking his place in the centre of the Hall. 

While there are moments of dialogue throughout the show, most of the performers are expressing themselves through dance, as designed by Movement Director Ruth Howard, who plays one of the followers of Dionysus alongside JORDAN AJADI, who plays Xanthias. Howard and Ajadi are a mesmerising pair to watch, seamlessly moving alongside one another and wrapping themselves around Broughton as Dionysus. Broughton gives an unforgettable performance himself, combining the joy and madness of the god through costume changes, lip-syncing and moments of rage and fury. 

The majority of the big show scenes take place in the main hall of Hoxton Hall, which has three different levels, allowing audiences to experience the same events from multiple perspectives. Other, more intimate scenes take place in smaller spaces, rooms that have been refurbished to become bedrooms and offices. There are also one-on-one experiences that one can have with different characters - I can’t say I experienced any, but I did see several audience members take the hands of cast members, being led into a secluded space for a private moment. Sound Designer Joel Moffett has done a fantastic job of ensuring that the music of the world can be heard throughout the building, even in smaller spaces like basements and cupboards. 

Like his followers, I found myself entranced by the character of Dionysus, not wanting to miss a thing that he did. There were several times I found myself wandering away from the crowd trailing him and went to see what the other characters were doing (including an intense chess match between Pentheus and an audience member), but after a few minutes I would see a flash of colour go by and rush to follow the god.

As with all immersive theatre at a larger scale, it is impossible to see everything and understand all of the little details about each character. I missed nearly all of the storyline for the characters of Semele (Maya McQueen), Zeus (Oli Towse) and Tiresias (Seririan Griffiths) but was able to use context clues to figure out what had been happening while I was with other characters.

Ultimately, Bacchanalia continues to be one of the highlights of immersive theatre in London, allowing audiences to become immersed in the city of Thebes and choose their own path while still having a strong narrative throughout. Huang and the Sleepwalk Immersive team as a whole have done a fantastic job of taking an already-great show and making it even better in a new location. I look forward to seeing what Sleepwalk Immersive comes up with next and hope to return to the city of Thebes soon. 

Bacchanalia runs until 6 April at Hoxton Hall.

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