Hour of the Wolf

Hope Hill and its legendary tale of the wolf and the superstition of her annual appearance is at the centre of this performance. As an original piece of immersive theatre, the production breaks several of the boundaries of traditional theatre. Expect the unexpected when you enter this meticulously created world. The set of Hope Hill, much like many immersive theatre experiences, is highly cinematic. The emphasis on mise-en-scene invites the audience to explore and literally enter the world of the characters. The various locations are incredibly detailed and evocative. Each space is established as an intricate, interesting and enticing environment.

Hour of the Wolf is a much more structured experience and a specific plot carefully unfolds across the different scenes. Each location reveals more details about the myth and the events of the play. However, given the itinerant nature of the performance it is easy to feel as though you are missing some crucial plot points or information. The performance is narrated and guided through a set of headphones. This means that the time you should spend in each location is clearly established. Although the audience is able to wander more freely, to some extent, spaces are often closed off to allow scenes to unfold. 

The joy of immersive theatre is the ability to meander and create a spontaneous and highly individual theatrical experience. There is often a strong sense of character and ambience, and a storyline is far less central. Immersive theatre also frequently offers the opportunity to interact not only with the space but also, to some extent, with the protagonists and this adds a certain frisson to the performance. Even though there is great proximity between the audience and performers in this show, the possibility of interaction with them is excluded. In this sense Hour of the Wolf is more attached to the conventions of promenade theatre.

Nonetheless, this is a truly unique experience with some very raw performances. The acting style adopted is akin to the kind of loose and naturalistic styles found in independent cinema such as Mumblecore. This adds to the immediacy of the event and accentuates the immersive nature of the experience. Hour of the Wolf provides the audience with an opportunity to experience some ground-breaking theatre in a very stylish and accomplished manner.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Pia Johnson