Punchdrunk Viola’s Room

Yeah I went with 5 other single ticket holders

If Elizabeth line is working, be easy to get form Woolwich arsenal to Tottenham Court road

I'd be surprised if it doesn't extend.

Have mixed feelings about PD. The Drowned Man was stunning, The Burnt City … saw in previews and didn’t realise there was a secret door - missed the other city - did feedback directly but was palmed off. I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing bare feet in this one. Firm no for me.

Saw this this early today, and really enjoyed it.

Some spoilers follow. . .

The story is a classic dark fairytale, without too many twists and turns, so its pretty simple really, and wouldn't merit a longer running time.

In the sense that there's a LOT of wandering down dark passages, while stopping off for "adventure" rooms along the way, its like a budget version of "You Me Bum Bum Train," where instead of all the "expensive" (aka volunteer lol) actors playing parts along the way, instead you have a recording of Helen's Bonham Carter in your ear while you follow a trail of lights and stop off to look at exhibits.

Sometimes the exhibits are miniatures directly illustrating the story you are being told, and sometimes the exhibits are suggestive of other things that are similar to the story you are hearing, but regardless, both journey and exhibits make you feel a certain way.

Shoelessness is but one way the show is sensory, first and foremost, with plump surfaces giving way to harder wooden surfaces giving way to other richer tactile sensations. Sometimes soft obstacles touch your face in the darkness.

The dark itself is the overwhelming sensory play, as it allows the imagination to run riot, listening to the story, surveying the exhibits, while the eye follows a trail of lights, like cotton ball fireflies, to get round a maze.

Like "The Red Shoes," the story is about the joys and dangers of giving way to compulsions and obsessions, so Helena Bonham Carter feels like an appropriate narrator lol.

Anyhow, the story could be richer, more twisty, more dramatic, and the props could be more expensive, more dazzling , more surprising, but for a budget show, there is a whole lot of dreamy exhilaration to be had, on a journey of mystery and discovery utilising those primal essential elements of light, dark and the bodily senses.

Great fun to the tune of 4 stars for me, akin to the strangeness of reverting to childhood for an hour.

PS: The Elizabeth Line, which I used for the first time, is a wonder, getting to Woolwich from Tottenham Court Road in 20 minutes. Its also exceptionally fairly priced, as I discovered that changing onto it from the Overground at Farringdon incurred no extra charge (ie my whole journey was charged as Overground only, without an Underground Surcharge) yet on my return journey, leaving it to go via Underground to Finsbury Park via Tottenham Court Road incurred no Overground Surcharge (with the whole journey constituting one Underground journey). I'm as impressed by the Elizabeth Line as the show lol.

Definitely no secret door between the cities, though they did update it to make it more obvious how to get between them as the show went on. That being said, I think the new building being long with 2 levels meant it was harder to navigate, rather than just each floor being a different place.

I'm female and I only found it mildly entertaining too. 

I don't think it has anything to do with female sexuality. It's about a girl dealing with some heavy stuff while growing up.

Despite the things I didn't like about it, I was there on one of the hottest days of the year and the whole venue was nicely air conditioned

It's a good time, but it's a very different beast from their masked shows, so set your expectations accordingly. There are some beautiful sets and striking images but you don't get the time to properly explore them, you're on a tight schedule based on the audio and lights. It's a more focused, but less free, experience. Feels very much like a theme park ride that you're walking through on a set path and pace.

My first Punchdrunk experience with this today. Echo many of the thoughts already shared. Extremely cool set piece rooms, but a little bit too much walking in sheets for my liking. The first bedroom sequence, where you position yourself and how you leave it was so cool, much of what came after felt a little underwhelming.

As for the feet issue, it’s probably one of the most crucial elements of the piece and I didn’t feel icky without shoes/socks at all. The transition in surface textures was the most arresting sensory experience outside of the weight of the darkness.

I must admit, some of the narration got away from me at times, but that’s probably more my attention span that anything.

Would definitely be interested interested in more Punchdrunk experiences in the future.

Just announced - for the festive season Viola’s Room will be rechristened and adapted into Viola’s Room: A Christmas Tale – with a festive, and different, spin on the experience - will run from Wednesday 20 November – Monday 23 December when the run of Viola's Room (in both versions) concludes.
*The original version finishes on Saturday 17 November.

Does anyone know what sort of ticket game Punchdrunk plays with their inventory? For a particular date/timeslot, I can't buy a single ticket but I CAN buy the entire 6-person slot for £239. I think earlier I could have bought a single but it's no longer an option. Is there a time where they will relent and allow singles to be purchased again (perhaps as Rush)?