Vegetables, a new immersive experience by Muddled Marauders, invites audiences
into a world of eccentric science unlike anything you’ve likely seen before.
Muddled Marauders first voyage into a theatrical immersive experience has gifted us Vegetables at ‘Clerkenwell Bio Botanics.’ Steeped in secrecy, this production promises an enticingly unique trip for those interested in 90 minutes of hysterical eclecticism.
The location is wisely kept as part of the mystery leading up to the performance, revealed shortly before the coming date. Upon entering the location, the small audience is gathered around a table. None of us were quite sure what to expect – the conversation was enormously speculative. Soon, we were led by a scientist clad in a lab coat through a gritty, eccentric set of sprawling corridors, encouraged to investigate a few rooms in to observe some of their ‘experiments.’ The tone was decidedly serious, in comedic contrast to the haphazard absurdity of the experimentation-rooms: tinfoil-clad walls housing a lonely carrot, a piece of broccoli connected to various wires, and much else. The journey is coloured by explanations to the tune of, “We need to ensure the vegetables are in the correct emotional state of mind for our work.”
We are led into the doctor’s official waiting room. This is when the experience truly starts to pick up the pace. To reveal much would be to detract from the journey, but rest assured you could in no way anticipate what might happen next.
Performances by the cast were excellent in their unwavering commitment to the shared reality of this strange world we entered. The audience is carefully accounted for an included in such a way as to fully immerse them in the experience without expecting attendees to participate in ways they might not feel comfortable doing. While I felt fully immersed in this world, I did not feel concerned that my boundaries would be crossed, a vital component of quality immersive theatre.
The writing of Nathan Ess shone through the unpredictability of events. Our collective expectations were clearly subverted repeatedly throughout the course of the production. Aided by the secrecy cladding the show, the genuine and joyous shock experienced by the audience was a distinct facet of what made this experience so delightful. Vegetables makes it clear that in order to have a rewarding, exciting, and wholly distinct immersive production, you do not need the budget afforded to shows such as Sleep No More. All you truly need is a committed cast, a location with fertile ground for play, and a story that is as exciting and intriguing as that of this production.