Immersive Theatre Review - Bacchanalia at Hoxton Hall

Back in 2024, I wrote a review of Sleepwalk Immersive’s Bacchanalia.

Fast forward a year, and Bacchanalia is back – I’d do the inevitable back-analia pun, but I’m reasonably sure someone must have beaten me to it – with everything that I loved from its earlier runs, and much, much more.

Hoxton Hall is a venue that almost seems designed for immersive theatre, with its open central hall overlooked by two wrap-around balcony levels. I was lucky enough to attend the dress rehearsal, which fell just after paperback publication day for me, meaning that I wasn’t on full energetic immersive form. After wandering for a while, I sat down on the top balcony to recharge, and finished up staying put for the rest of the night. There was always something happening within view of my vantage point – in some cases, more than one thing, leading to a faintly cartoon-like head swivel, as I tried to watch two scenes at once.

The larger venue has allowed for a much expanded show, so there are plenty of surprises for those who saw the earlier version. It’s also given the cast room to stretch out, and the dancing – already superb in the show’s last outing – is a huge highlight. The music is another, with a soundtrack to match the 60s set.

There’s a dark intensity to the show, with a thrum of tension always present, even through the lighter scenes, but there’s also a lot of fun. Dionysius brings a glorious chaos to the ordered Thebes,  but the audience soon see the cold steel beneath his showman’s facade. The contrast is what makes this such a compelling interpretation.

It only has two weeks left to run, so I’d advise picking tickets up as soon as possible if you want to see a brilliant piece of immersive theatre in a unique venue.