A Midnight Visit

Last updated
A Midnight Visit
"Entrance to the dream" A Midnight Visit.jpg
The doorway entrance to the dream from A Midnight Visit
Date premieredOctober, 2018
Place premieredNewtown, Sydney, Australia
Original languageEnglish
GenreImmersive, macabre
amidnightvisit.com

A Midnight Visit is an Australian multi-sensory immersive theatre experience based upon the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The audience walks at their own pace through a variety of theatrically designed rooms featuring adult concepts, uneven floors, small and large spaces, and low-level lighting. Finding themselves as co-creators of their own experience, audiences are transported into a macabre dream world, and negotiate encounters with peculiar characters who sing, act, dance and even perform circus aerials. [1]

Contents

Production

Created in 2018 by Kirsten Siddle and Danielle Harvey of theatre company Broad Encounters, [2] the production has toured sold-out shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. [3] Sydney (03 Oct 2018 - 09 Dec 2018)

In November 2021 it became Brisbane's longest running theatre production breaking the record held by The Phantom of the Opera in 1996–1997. [4]

Format

Typically transforming abandoned city warehouses into theatrical playgrounds, A Midnight Visit follows in the footsteps of internationally renowned promenade theatre projects such as New York's Sleep No More (2011 play). With more than 10 hours of simultaneous performance in each 60 to 70 minute viewing, a site production can be set over 2500 square metres and involve up to 250 creators.

"Part choose your own adventure, part performance, part film-set, part playground, part sound world. Set in an abandoned warehouse over two floors and more than 30 rooms... a multi-sensory and magnificently macabre experience, A Midnight Visit invites you to explore a dark dreamworld of thrills, obsession, decadence and awe. All senses will be tantilised - even (especially?) the sixth." [5]

There is over 30+ rooms each in the various iterations with the latest Brisbane production having 36 rooms. [6]

Characters

Core characters

Characters that have been in every iteration of the show include:

Edgar Allan Poe

"Our tortured dreamer in A Midnight Visit. Each room brings him face to face with ghosts from his past and the creatures of his imagination. Madness is sure to take him!"

The Raven

Based on The Raven narrative poem.

"The charismatic human-animal hybrid stalks the residents and visitors of A Midnight Visit as the incarnation of death and guilt. Beware the mischief maker…"

Madeline Usher

Character from The Fall of the House of Usher

"Stuck in a sick and twisted relationship with her brother, her body and mind begin to deteriorate. Be careful, behind the laughing mouth are sharp teeth"

Rodrick Usher

Character from The Fall of the House of Usher.

"A hypochondriac gothic dandy. Fearful and crazy, plotting, or is he remembering, his twin sister… entombed alive…"

The Actress

"Representing the ‘fatalistic dead woman’ prevalent in literature and film. Our Actress shapeshifts through classic texts – how many will you know? She lives for the applause. She may die when it stops. Adore her, The Actress, a shapeshifting beauty with a sinister streak."

Ligeia (The Nurse)

"A cruel nurse who runs a tight ship, or a former patient? A nightly metamorphosis occurs as Ligeia sheds her old skin to begin again."

The King

"Sometimes a king full of bravado and beer, and sometimes an orangutan full of fury. The King is powerful, egotistical and temperamental."

Amalgamation of several characters/figures/ideas in Poe's work, but does act as the King from the Hop Frog short story.

Additional characters

Characters that do not appear in every production:

Seasonal sharacters

During shows around Halloween, additional performers and characters were added to the temporarily to the production including:

Cast

CharacterSydneyPerthMelbourneBrisbane
Edgar Allan PoeJames RaggattNick MaclaineAndrew JohnstonSho Eba
Virginia PoeBobbie Jean-HenningBobbie-Jean HenningBobbie-Jean Henning

Meg Hickey (Sep 2019)

Gabby Caron*
The ActressMegan DruryMegan DruryMegan DruryMeg Hickey
Madeline UsherBri EmrichBri EmrichBri EmrichBri Emrich

Rachel Dowse (Dec 2021)

Rodrick UsherJason WinstonTom OliverCameron MacDonaldDaniel Kirkby

Tom Oliver (Jan 2022)**

Nurse (Ligeia)Hannah RavenHannah RavenHannah RavenHannah Raven

Melissa Budd (Nov 2021)

The KingDrew FairleyStee AndrewsStee AndrewsLucinda Shaw
Hop FrogN/AJon MaddKristian SanticKristian Santic
The RavenJohnny HawkinsHudson EmeryHudson EmeryGina Tay-Limpus

Gabby Carbon (Nov 2021)

The Black CatCaitlin DrysdaleMay GreenbergSaro Sawakchim

Piaera Lauritz

Ela Bartilomo*
Detective DupinN/AAndrew HaleJohn Marc DesenganoReagan Warner*
The Scarlet PrinceN/AN/AN/A Reuben Kaye*
Alice and AliceN/AN/AN/ACocoloco*
Monsieur Maillard

aka The Doctor

N/AN/ADrew Fairley*N/A
The SailorN/AN/AHilton Denis*N/A
Lizzie ReidN/AAtara LebranskyN/AN/A
The UndertakerHudson Emery
Isabel of FairylandN/AN/APenelope Elena*N/A

* denotes performers/characters that made special appearances for Halloween season shows.

** Tom Oliver was called in short notice to temporarily perform the role of Rodrick Usher following cast absences due to COVID-19.

Works referenced

Fiction by Edgar Allan Poe

Poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Other works

Films (quoted by The Actress)

Music

Reception

A Midnight Visit is Broad Encounters’ first large-scale work, winning Concrete Playground's Best New Event of 2018 for Australia and New Zealand. [7]

The 2019 Perth iteration of the production, as part of Fringe World, was awarded four and half stars by Simon Collins of The West Australian. "Ninety minutes was barely enough time to explore this lurid, chaotic, enchanting and voyeuristic world. No two experiences are the same." [8]

The Age wrote a four star review of the 2019 Melbourne production. "As an homage to Poe, you couldn't ask for more." [9]

The extended 2021 season in Brisbane was lauded by Phil Brown, Arts Editor of The Courier Mail, as, "An incredibly enriching experience. You will never have seen anything like this before, I promise. It's a blast!". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raven</span> 1845 narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a mysterious visit by a talking raven. The lover, often identified as a student, is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further antagonize the protagonist with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". The poem makes use of folk, mythological, religious, and classical references.

<i>The Raven</i> (Lou Reed album) 2003 studio album by Lou Reed

The Raven is the nineteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on January 28, 2003 by Sire Records. It is a concept album, recounting the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe through word and song, and was based on his 2000 opera co-written with Robert Wilson, POEtry.

<i>The Tomb of Ligeia</i> 1964 American horror film by Roger Corman

The Tomb of Ligeia is a 1964 British horror film directed by Roger Corman. Starring Vincent Price and Elizabeth Shepherd, it tells of a man haunted by the spirit of his dead wife and her effect on his second marriage. The screenplay by Robert Towne was based upon the short story "Ligeia" by American author Edgar Allan Poe and was the last in his series of films loosely based on the works of Poe. Tomb of Ligeia was filmed at Castle Acre Priory and other locations with a mostly British cast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berenice (short story)</span> Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"Berenice" is a short horror story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1835. The story is narrated by Egaeus, who is preparing to marry his cousin Berenice. He tends to fall into periods of intense focus, during which he seems to separate himself from the outside world. Berenice begins to deteriorate from an unnamed disease until only her teeth remain healthy. Egaeus obsesses over them. When Berenice is buried, he continues to contemplate her teeth. One day, he awakens with an uneasy feeling from a trance-like state and hears screams. A servant reports that Berenice's grave has been disturbed, and she is still alive. Beside Egaeus is a shovel, a poem about "visiting the grave of my beloved", and a box containing 32 teeth.

<i>Edgar Allan Poe: Once Upon a Midnight</i> Play

Edgar Allan Poe: Once Upon a Midnight is a one-man play written by Paul Day Clemens and Ron Magid. Its production run, beginning in 1998 and touring over a 100 cities before ending in 2004, starred John Astin in the title role of Edgar Allan Poe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ligeia</span> Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"Ligeia" is an early short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The story follows an unnamed narrator and his wife Ligeia, a beautiful and intelligent raven-haired woman. She falls ill, composes "The Conqueror Worm", and quotes lines attributed to Joseph Glanvill shortly before dying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allusions to Poe's "The Raven"</span> Edgar Allan Poes poem in popular culture

Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" has been frequently referenced and parodied in contemporary culture. Immediately popular after the poem's publication in 1845, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Some consider it the best poem ever written. As such, modern references to the poem continue to appear in popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Shepherd</span> British actress {born 1936)

Elizabeth Shepherd is an English character actress whose long career has encompassed the stage and both the big and small screens. Her television work has been especially prolific. Shepherd's surname has been variously rendered as "Shephard" and "Sheppard".

<i>The Pit and the Pendulum</i> (1961 film) 1961 film by Roger Corman

The Pit and the Pendulum is a 1961 horror film directed by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr, and Luana Anders. The screenplay by Richard Matheson was loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's 1842 short story of the same name. Set in sixteenth-century Spain, the story is about a young Englishman who visits a forbidding castle to investigate his sister's mysterious death. After a series of horrific revelations, apparently ghostly appearances and violent deaths, the young man becomes strapped to the titular torture device by his lunatic brother-in-law during the film's climactic sequence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hop-Frog</span> Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"Hop-Frog" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1849. The title character, a person with dwarfism taken from his homeland, becomes the jester of a king particularly fond of practical jokes. Taking revenge on the king and his cabinet for the king's striking of his friend and fellow dwarf Trippetta, he dresses the king and his cabinet as orangutans for a masquerade. In front of the king's guests, Hop-Frog murders them all by setting their costumes on fire before escaping with Trippetta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in television and film</span>

American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe has had significant influence in television and film. Many are adaptations of Poe's work, others merely reference it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in popular culture</span>

Edgar Allan Poe has appeared in popular culture as a character in books, comics, film, and other media. Besides his works, the legend of Poe himself has fascinated people for generations. His appearances in popular culture often envision him as a sort of "mad genius" or "tormented artist", exploiting his personal struggles. Many depictions of Poe interweave elements of his life with his works, in part due to Poe's frequent use of first-person narrators, suggesting an erroneous assumption that Poe and his characters are identical.

<i>Shadow of the Raven</i> 2007 studio album by Nox Arcana

Shadow of the Raven is the eighth album by gothic duo Nox Arcana. This time the composers Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski honor Edgar Allan Poe, the author of "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Fall of the House of Usher, "The Tell-Tale Heart" and other tales of suspense and horror, as well as the famous poem "The Raven". Nox Arcana's Shadow of the Raven was cited in the academic book Handbook of Intermediality: Literature - Image - Sound - Music in reference to the vast legacy of Poe's works in music.

Site-specific theatre is a theatrical production that is performed at a unique, specially adapted location other than a standard theatre. This unique site may have been built without any intention of serving theatrical purposes. It may also simply be an unconventional space for theatre. Site-specific theatre seeks to use the properties of a unique site's landscape, rather than a typical theatre stage, to add depth to a theatrical production. Sites are selected based on their ability to amplify storytelling and form a more vivid backdrop for the actors in a theatrical production. A performance in a traditional theatre venue that has been transformed to resemble a specific space, can also be considered as site-specific, as long as it no longer has the functionality that a traditional theatre would have.

Edgar Allan Poe's 1842 short story "The Masque of the Red Death" has been depicted and referenced numerous times in popular culture.

<i>Sleep No More</i> (2011 play) Play by British theatre company Punchdrunk

Sleep No More is the New York City production of an immersive theatre work created by the British theatre company Punchdrunk. It is primarily based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth, with inspiration also taken from noir films, as well as some reference to the 1697 Paisley witch trials. It builds on their original 2003 London incarnation and their Brookline, Massachusetts 2009 collaboration with Boston's American Repertory Theatre. The company reinvented Sleep No More as a co-production with Emursive, beginning performances on March 7, 2011. Sleep No More won the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience and won Punchdrunk special citations at the 2011 Obie Awards for design and choreography.

Linie 1 is the second-most successful German musical after Bertolt Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. The title refers to Berlin's subway line U1. The musical was first performed by the ensemble of the GRIPS-Theater on 30 April 1986. In October 2017, the troupe put on its 1,800th performance. The music was written by Birger Heymann, the text written by Volker Ludwig, the set designed by Mathias Fischer-Dieskau, and the musical directed by Wolfgang Kolneder. In 1988, a film version was made, and in 2008, GRIPS released a live recording on DVD.

<i>The Masque of the Red Death</i> (play)

The Masque of the Red Death was an original theatre production by British theatre company Punchdrunk, in collaboration with the Battersea Arts Centre that ran from September 2007 to April 2008

Immersive theater differentiates itself from traditional theater by removing the stage and immersing audiences within the performance itself. Often, this is accomplished by using a specific location (site-specific), allowing audiences to converse with the actors and interact with their surroundings (interactive), thereby breaking the fourth wall.

<i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i> (miniseries) American horror drama television miniseries

The Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan. All eight episodes were released on Netflix on October 12, 2023, each directed by either Flanagan or Michael Fimognari, with the latter also acting as cinematographer for the entire series.

References

  1. Staff Writers. "5 Secrets Uncovered At A Midnight Visit In Brisbane". scenestr - Pop Culture & Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  2. "Broad Encounters". Broad Encounters. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  3. "A MIDNIGHT VISIT - A new immersive large-scale fantasy experience | News". AussieTheatre.com. 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  4. "A Midnight Visit set to make Queensland Theatre History | News". AussieTheatre.com. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  5. "A MIDNIGHT VISIT - An experience like no other". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  6. "A Midnight Visit: Immersive Theatre Experience In A Disused Warehouse". Secret Brisbane. 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  7. "Sydney's Best New Events of 2018". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  8. "Buried alive in Gothic tales". The West Australian. 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  9. Woodhead, Cameron (2019-08-12). "Immersive labyrinth of Victorian gothic a sure hit". The Age. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  10. Brown, Phil (2021-07-30). "Review: Ghastly show with 'half-dead' cast pulls the crowds". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 2021-09-26.