Punchdrunk's The Burnt City (London)

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/11/22 at 9:03pm

Just got a chance to catch this, anyone else?

In scale it is much bigger than SNM. It lacks the detail and focus however. Yet, a must see for those who are into humongous immersive experiences.

Perhaps the bar from SNM and The Drowning Man was too high, but their shows do start to look and feel repetitive.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 12:40am

If anyone is looking I have one ticket for sale for Wednesday April 20th!

[Scott19]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 2:14am

@blaxx, I’m seeing it in June. 
there’s some discussion on the West End Theatreboard that people were having trouble following the performance and actually missing parts.

Did you have any problems?

 

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 02:14 AM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 7:16am

I’m also going in June.

A common complaint I’ve heard from folks who’ve seen it is that the space is bigger than it initially appears, and they spent a long time wandering around going “This is it?” only to discover how much the space actually opens up too far into the show to appreciate it. It’s also a much more sprawling story (where Sleep No More is essentially one plot thread and The Drowned Man was two plots mirrored) with many characters telling a few different narratives. Sounds like the real issue is focus, which Punchdrunk is not really known for. They bank on sensory overload and an “If you missed it, it wasn’t meant to be” mentality.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 10:54am

Scott19 said: "@blaxx, I’m seeing it in June.
there’s some discussion on the West End Theatreboard that people were having trouble following the performance and actually missing parts.

Did you have any problems?

"

The premise uses so many characters from Greek tragedies that, unless you're a scholar, it's practically impossible to know who is who.

I read a bunch of spoilers beforehand and still had no idea. There are a few cool images in there, but also a lot of fillers.

Yes, the space is divided into the very sparse Mycenae and the very detailed Troy. I didn't have any issues finding both, but I do go into Punchdrunk shows trying all doors. 

I felt a bit the Cirque effect: once you see one, you've seen them all. To me it was a lot of space that could've been used better. Having a dozen Greek characters in modern clothes didn't help to follow any known storyline so the scenes seem random and arbitrary, instead of an interesting adaptation.

[kurtal]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 12:26pm

The show is still in previews, so I imagine both the "text" and the performances will continue to get richer and develop between now and April 21 opening.  And if other Punchdrunk shows are any indication, they'll likely keep developing things even after opening.  

I'm going in May for several shows, and I'm excited to see how the show has settled into the space by then.

[Scott19]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 10:25pm

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

it looks like I’ve got some prep to do ahead of my June visit.

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 10:25 PM

[sorano916]

Posted: 4/13/22 at 8:11am

I saw it this past weekend. I've only been to SNM once in NYC and I felt so lost in that. For some reason, I got into TBC a bit more and that's as someone who doesn't know anything about Greek tragedy. I think because I started off at Mycenae first, what happens there was a bit more straightforward. When I went to Troy, that's where I had a harder time figuring out what was happening. The different physical spaces probably helped (one being very open and the other with so many rooms). While it's still previews, I would be curious to see what changes are made and if I went off & tried to follow not the main characters as I had did during my first visit.