Don’t miss the closing party on 17 September
Punchdrunk’s The Burnt City opened March 2022 and has sold over 200,000 tickets. The epic retelling of the end of the Trojan war, set between the neon-drenched backstreets of downtown Troy and the menacing but opulent shadow of Greece, plays out across two vast warehouse buildings. Part of the old Woolwich Arsenal, these buildings provide Punchdrunk with its first permanent home in London.
By the time it closes at the end of September, the show will be the longest running mask show that the company has presented in London. Over 600 people worked on it, making it the largest project in Punchdrunk’s history.
So if you haven’t seen it yet, now’s your final chance. The show is unlike anything else. It’s a disorientating space on what seems like several levels, taking in a sandy wasteland, an industrial ruin and an abandoned tent settlement – this is the Greek city of Mycenae and the ambulatory audience must decide which paths to follow. Actors appear from nowhere, leading the audience to witness fragments of wordless action in dance and mime in a space that looks apocalyptic and terror-filled – yet strangely empty. Follow Agamemnon upstairs to witness Iphigenia – having been sacrificed by her father earlier – transform herself into a bear in a 1920s style childhood bedroom. It’s a surreal recreation of a fever dream.
The Last Rite
A closing party to celebrate The Burnt City on Sunday 17 September, will feature pop-up performances by the cast and extended performing family of The Burnt City and guest DJs including Mynxie. A reunion of past Punchdrunk show The Drowned Man’s house band The Walk of Terror will perform in the speakeasy Peep, and there will be special pop-up food concessions. Tickets for The Last Rite are on sale now and can be purchased alongside the show or as a stand alone event. The final performance of Punchdrunk’s The Burnt City will be held on 24 September 2023.
