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It’s hard to describe ‘Kabeiroi’, the first full-length Punchdrunk show for adults since 2013’s ‘The Drowned Man’, without spoiling the experience for the few who are lucky enough to see it.
The emphasis there is on ‘few’ and ‘lucky’: if you’re reading this and you don’t yet have tickets, then barring some kind of miracle you won’t see the show. ‘Kabeiroi’ is for two audience members at a time, runs until November 5, and the 432 pairs of tickets were distributed via a (buggy) web ballot and a subsequent online free-for-all for the few unclaimed pairs. Tickets weren’t provided to the media either (which led to a fair amount of griping).
Even by their own standards, immersive theatre legends Punchdrunk have been secretive about this show. Very few details were given out ahead of time: just that it lasts up to six hours, involves strobe lighting, multiple locations and the use of an Oyster card, and is not for the faint of heart. But there is good reason for this, and if you do have tickets, avoid reading further as most of the thrills come from not knowing.
The title ‘Kabeiroi’ references a set of gods in Greek mythology and shares its name with a play by Aeschylus that only survives in two short fragments. The show is, in essence, a re-imagining of an induction ceremony into a Kabeiroi-worshipping cult.
We started out on an innocent enough literary-themed walking tour of London, and were reminded again and again that we were walking in the footsteps of history’s greatest artists and heroes. But things took on a possibly sinister turn, as we were suddenly approached out in the open by cult members and given clues to follow and tasks to perform that would lead to a mysterious ritual.
As a gamified play, the ‘Kabeiroi’ experience is an ambitious experiment, albeit a bit disjointed and uneven. Parts of the show are genuinely inspired, particularly in its use of locations, but other aspects are frustrating and seem only there to kill time. Two weeks since the show’s first dress rehearsal performance, there’s still quite a few logistical kinks to work out. There’s also clearly a lot of variation between experiences: we actually finished after less than four hours. And despite the length, the ending felt abrupt and lacking in resolution. One can’t help but feel that this was all just a trial run for Punchdrunk to create something bigger down the line using the same format.
‘Kabeiroi’ is a major departure for Punchdrunk, and yes, I did find it enjoyable despite its flaws. But it’s not really worth the hype it’s been building up since its announcement. If you didn’t score tickets, you definitely shouldn’t beat yourself up thinking you’re missing out.
BY: JESSICA JIAOJIAO WU
Jessica Jiaojiao Wu is a freelance contributer to Time Out New York who won tickets to 'Kabeiroi' via the ballot