“Room 13 is an immersive horror experience for lovers and newcomers to the genre alike.”
Room 13 is the brand-new immersive theatrical horror experience on at Battersea Arts Centre just in time for the Halloween period. The production was imagined by Tom Maller and the experimental theatre company Immersive Octopus. Room 13 combines horror with the company’s signature immersive style and the story is centred around the Battersea Arts Centre fire of 2015. The 35-minute production takes its audience into a sort of Phantom of the Opera-like chamber within the halls of the performance space. The chamber’s existence, it is explained, was allegedly uncovered only in the fire’s aftermath and the secrets of “Room 13” are revealed only to those brave enough to enter. In this case, members of the Circle of the Veil and, of course, their audience.
The ushers are clear that participants can raise their hand at any time during the performance to be escorted out. That said, Room 13 is an excellent spooky outing for those who want to participate in Halloween fever but typically avoid the frights of haunted houses and scary films. There are occasional jump scares and frightening visuals, but Room 13 relies mostly on lighting and sound effects. It’s clearly horror but is not designed to push its audience to the limits of fear and discomfort. The experience’s potential as a gateway into immersive horror is a testament to its originality. At the same time, lovers of the scary and supernatural will be undoubtedly entertained.
When it comes to the history of the fire and the events that followed, Room 13 is designed for its audience to question what is fact and what is fiction. It’s an exciting premise that falls modestly short in practice. The result of the general opaqueness is a confusing narrative that may have benefited, in the end, from more clarity and specifics. A clearer story may have also closed the distance between setup and payoff. As it was, the ending was an anticlimactic conclusion to what came before.
Nevertheless, Room 13 is an entertaining and quick Halloween outing that includes stand-out moments of audience collaboration and surprise. These stand-out moments are brought to life by an excellent production team that includes director Tom Maller, script writer Bells Pendergast, designer Christian Ellinas, sound designer Matt Farthing, lighting designer Maz Sharp, and more.
Room 13 also features a strong ensemble of Immersive Octopus company members who represent the Circle of the Veil. These actors must provide in-character exposition on top of intense physicality and do so to great effect. Performers include Megan Louise Wilson and Jeffrey Mundell.
Room 13 is on at Battersea Arts Centre through 1 November. Tickets available here.