Punchdrunk have earned themselves a reputation as something of a gold-standard in the world of immersive theatre, and if The Burnt City is anything to go by, that’s deserved.
We’ve covered a few immersive experiences over the years and they’ve often felt a little underwhelming – while we’ve yet to encounter any disasters, they can sometimes feel like there’s not enough to see or do, or that corners have been cut to keep costs down.
These are not concerns when it comes to The Burnt City. Spanning a vast warehouse in Woolwich, this epic experience is themed around the Trojan war, with two key areas to explore: one representing Greece, the other Troy.
We enter through a bar – which remains open the whole time, for those who want to take a break from the three-hour experience and enjoy a drink and some cabaret – and after a short introduction through a miniature museum, we enter our first arena.