BONKERS BOTANICS WITH A BLACK MIRROR TWIST

By Rachel Cameron-Potter | Stuff Rachel Says ⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

In an underground laboratory in Clerkenwell, Dr Angela Haas (Adie Mueller) has found the answer to all ailments, with a promise to “fix you, once and for all.” Now, Clerkenwell Bio Botanics are looking for 13 lucky trialists to attend a product showcase, with the chance to experience the panacea for themselves.

Directed by Nathan Ess and funded by Arts Council England, the details surrounding Muddled Marauders’ debut performance are kept tightly under wraps — including the venue’s location. Clandestinely shared only with ticket-holders after filling out an “application form”, the secretive location housing Clerkenwell Bio Botanics immerses the audience in the story of a project kept away from prying eyes from the get-go.

With this in mind, make sure you leave with plenty of time to get there. Since there aren’t any signs the venue is hosting any kind of performance, I only gathered I was in the right place when I found clusters of people hovering around an unassuming door.

Drawing on their experience hosting immersive underground raves in multi-room spaces, the Marauders’ performance isn’t confined to a stage, but rather in an array of rooms decked out with glass jars of vegetables, each hooked up to a host of wires in a never-ending sequence of experiments. Guided by Dr Haas’ enthusiastic assistant Veronica (Michelle Robertson), participants follow a labyrinth of dark corridors in the underground research centre to the room where we’ll meet the decorated Dr Haas in for the first time.

What follows is a bizarre botanical spectacle replete with as many twists and turns as the space in which it’s held. As the story unfolds, the inspiration from Black Mirror becomes apparent, and the plot goes from absurdly comical to dark and disturbing as it reaches its crescendo.

True to its immersive nature, there were elements of audience participation as we took on the role of trialists, and while many of these aspects were enjoyable, at points it may have been better to focus on pushing on with the plot. A handful of attempts to get the audience involved led to some awkward improv before reverting abruptly back to the storyline, interrupting the story’s flow with gaps of silence, and leaving the audience unsure of how much they ought to contribute.

Nonetheless, the Marauders’ debut play is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and puts an entertaining twist on traditional theatre. The storyline is undoubtedly bizarre, but if you’re a Black Mirror fan and don’t mind chowing down on some carrots mid-performance, this is definitely the ticket for you.

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