“They sent forth men to battle, But no such men return; And home, to claim their welcome, Come ashes in an urn.”
― Aeschylus, Agamemnon
As an avid fan and spectator of New York‘s preeminent immersive theatre experience, Sleep No More, when I heard Punchdrunk had a new show in London, I leapt at the opportunity to see the show. The Burnt City is a story of dazzling and haunting story gods and mortals set in a mythical underworld. The overall story takes inspiration from Greek mythology and is set during the Fall of Troy. But this isn’t the fall of Troy you remember, but another take on the classic tale. It is an experience that sends you through dreams and nightmares and suspends, if just for a few hours, your sense of reality and opens your mind wide. So dive in because this is going to be an intense ride…
I’ve read many articles that tell you not to get bogged down in decoding the plot or trying to understand what is happening in The Burnt City. Most of the story’s plotlines are told through interpretive dance scenes. But let’s face it; humans look for meaning in what we see. And I truly believe that by knowing a little more about the characters and overall themes, we can better develop different interpretations of the show as audience members.
My Sleep No More guide has proven extremely helpful for viewers before and after the show. And I wanted to ensure I gave the Burnt City the same treatment! If you’re curious and want clues about how to make the most of your experience, read on. This is the spoiler-free guide, but if you want to know all the secrets and spoilers, you can also check out our complete guide! Choose your fate!
The Burnt City is the newest production from the award-winning theatre company Punchdrunk. The show is an immersive theatre performance that blends contemporary dance and dramatic performances with classical texts. The production occurs inside One Cartridge Place; two enormous warehouses in Woolwich, outside central London. Set inside these warehouses, the company has transformed these once-abandoned buildings into a state-of-the-art theatrical venue. One that uses new technologies to create a cinematic walkthrough of their site-specific sets where you can explore to your heart’s content the world of the Burnt City.
The show has little to know spoken dialogue, and instead, the story is told through modern dance and the powerful yet silent performances of the actors in the show. The lack of words makes the show more of a work of art than a play, allowing viewers to come away with their own interpretation of some scenes and events.
Immersive theatre is a form of performance art that places the audience at the center of the performance. Blurring the boundaries between performer and spectator. In an immersive theatre experience, the audience is not just a passive observer but an active participant in the performance. Unlike traditional theatre, where the action occurs on a stage, and the audience watches from their seats, Punchdrunk demands their viewers to follow the story. You can explore the over 100,00 square feet inside the theatre, discovering secrets and various characters as you go. Pursue whatever grabs your attention. Somewhat of a “chose your own adventure” model of performance art.
The show itself is three hours long, but the story repeats three times throughout the night. Resulting in 3 hour long “loops”. Each actor follows a distinct loop, with multiple storylines happening simultaneously. This means you can see an entire loop following one character. Then choose another to follow for the next hour, seeing how the characters interact or intersect between the various loops.
You can buy three different types of tickets directly from the Punchdrunk website; Standard, Premium and VIP. A key piece of information to understand when buying these tickets is they each come with a different “entry time slot.” As mentioned above, there are three loops to view the show; the later you arrive, the less of the first loop you will be privy to. The show starts at 7 pm (or 2 pm when they have matinees.)
Standard tickets starts at £45. The earliest time slots tend to be priced slightly higher, and the tickets get cheaper later in the evening. The latest timed entry ticket is 40 minutes after the first loop begins. No matter which ticket you buy, you will always still get to see at least two full loops (aka 2+ hours) of the show no matter when you arrive.
Premium tickets start at £95. These tickets have more availability for early time slots. You also get inside faster with priority entry, which enables you to jump the queue on arrival. With these tickets, you can arrive at 6:30 pm (30 minutes before the start of the show) to go inside and enjoy time at the Peep Bar. The Peep Bar is a part of the show itself, but more on that later. With a premium ticket, you’ll also receive a complimentary coat check and a glass of Da Luca Prosecco.
The last ticket level is the VIP Tickets which start at £135. You get all the same advantages as the premium tickets but receive a secret prelude scene which is exclusive to VIPs. You also get a cocktail included at the bar and get a collectible VIP gift. Truly, I think these tickets are only for die-hard fans looking for that exclusive scene. If you’re a first-timer (and are mega-rich) I think you can give it a skip.
If even the standard tickets sound expensive, well, they are. But there are some discount options available. The Ticket Lottery opens weekly every Thursday, with the draws taking place the following Wednesdays. Tickets are bookable for the week ahead and available in pairs. These tickets are £25 per person. But the arrival times are subject to availability.
Today Tix also offers daily discounted tickets through their app. These tickets are between £35-55, but they are set at the 7:20 pm entry time. Honestly, this is the best option available. Twenty minutes is worth the savings. These were the tickets I bought for the shows when I was in London and I never found I missed anything I couldn’t see again during another loop.
The Burnt City is located in the neighbourhood of Woolwich, in One Cartridge Place, a two-minute walk from Woolwich station. The new Elizabeth Line stops at Woolwich station, making the journey on the tube all the easier from central London. It only takes about 30 minutes using the Elizabeth line. You can also access the theatre by taking the Thameslink train to Woolwich Arsenal Station, a six-minute walk to One Cartridge Place. From central London, this journey option takes around 50 minutes. But all will depend on where you’re departing from. Be sure to plan your journey in advance to avoid delays since timing at the show is key.
If you are driving, you can use the Woolwich Arsenal Train Station parking lot. From there, it is only an eight-minute walk to the theatre.
Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes before your scheduled time slot. They are getting pretty strict about this. But I’d arrive exactly 15 minutes before so you can ensure you get in as soon as possible And be advised they cannot guarantee access to latecomers. Once inside, you’ll need to go through security, get your ticket scanned, coat check and phone lock up. That’s where you are going to spend those extra 15 minutes.
As of March 2023, all audiences are still required to wear a Covid mask. If you do not have a mask with you, they will provide one to you upon entry. These are separate from the theatre masks you also need to wear. More on that below.
Since you want unencumbered throughout the show, you must check any bags or large purses before entering the theatre. Although you aren’t required to check your coat, it is HIGHLY recommended.
Coat check is complimentary for VIP and Premium ticket holders and but for the rest, it costs £2 per item. I brought a large, reusable bag with me that I stuffed my coat and purse into to save paying £2 on each of the two items. Small savings, but easy enough to do.
You are also not allowed to bring your phone into the theatre. They are very strict about this. If you don’t want to leave your phone in your checked bag, you have the option of placing your phone into a special lockable pouch. This pouch comes with a strap so you can carry it around with you. The pouch was very comfortable, and I loved being able to explore hands-free with ease.
In addition to the covid medical mask, all guests are required to wear a theatrical mask throughout the entire experience. The main reason for this is to distinguish the audience from the actors. This mask design is a replica of old Venetian Bauta masks. These Venetian Carnival masks hid the wearer’s identity during the tawdry events of carnival. With secret identities, rich aristocrats could partake in some otherwise frowned-upon activities. While wearing a mask might seem odd, the show aims to make you feel like a voyeur peeking in on the actors. Sporting a disguise allows you to feel braver and perhaps let your guard down. You might feel less inhibited and even step out of your comfort zone…
If you wear glasses, the mask may not fit over the top of them. I know the newer masks in London have additional padding that helps glasses wearers, but it may still prove difficult. If you can get or wear contacts, this might be the best way to fully enjoy the experience.
I was surprised to find upon researching that Burnt City is indeed wheelchair accessible, with only some areas inaccessible with electric chairs. If you have access requirements, including using a wheelchair, you must book an Access Ticket via Punchdrunk directly. You will also be able to book a complimentary Essential Companion ticket. You will need to use the lifts to access the two levels of the show. But there are lifts available.
The show is restricted 16+, with anyone under 18 required to be accompanied by a responsible guardian. The Box Office will issue a lanyard which they must wear during their visit to be identified to performers and staff. There is a bar that features as part of the performance, which those under 18s can only visit in the company of their parent or guardian.
The reason for this age restriction? Not only is there plenty of distressing scenes with blood, murder, suicide and sex, but also PLENTY of nudity. Also, be aware there are many dark spaces, loud noises, strobe light, and smoke effects throughout the show.
What you wear to see the show is super important. The most critical of which is your choice of footwear! Since the night can be as long as three hours, you want to wear comfortable shoes. I saw so many people there wearing high heels, and by the end of the evening, they were leaning on walls and looked more exhausted than excited. If you are interested in following one character’s storyline, sometimes this requires you literally sprint after them to ensure they don’t get away and you miss their next scene. Without good shoes, you can’t chase after them.
The warehouse of the Burnt City is VERY HOT. So even in the colder months, I would advise wearing a light, breathable outfit. Since you have to coat check anyways, you can always wear something warmer there and leave those extra layers at the coat check. Also, be warned you might get some fake blood on your clothes. This will only happen if you interact with the characters, but it can happen. Don’t worry, though; it washes right out. But some people might not want to change it and choose not to wear their best shoes.
Another thing that is strange but is a MUST is a wristwatch! Since you won’t have your phone to tell the time, a watch will help you gauge how long you have been inside. Or when the first or second loop of the show might end. While getting lost is part of the experience, if you want to get the most out of it, having a watch to tell the time might help you.
There is no wrong or right way to experience the Burnt City. In a way, the show commands that you leave your inhibitions behind and lose yourself in the performance. But, if you want to create a more cohesive experience, you might follow one character for a whole loop. To learn their story and see how it fits into the overall narrative.
Other viewers will want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and simply explore the environment, sets and details to uncover hidden clues about the storyline. In the Burnt City there are clues everywhere revealing your presence in the underworld, so you can absolutely hunt for those!
The choices are unless and that makes the experience completely unique every time you go! The biggest piece of advice I have is to leave anyone you come with behind. Leaver them in the literal dirt. Explore the world on your own. It’s a choose your own adventure, after all, not choose someone elses. Plus, talking with your friends about what they saw and experienced after the show is one of my favourite parts. Nothing like a good debrief!
If you’ve done even a little bit of reading on Punchdrunk’s productions, you’ll hear over and over again the mention of something called a 1:1. So what is it? The 1:1s are when an actor pulls a random audience member aside and brings them into a private room for a VERY intimate scene that only those two people share. This often involves removing your theatre mask so the performer can get up close and personal and connect with you.
Often the 1:1s are the only part of the play where you might hear the actor’s voice! They are few and far between, so if you get selected, consider yourself very lucky indeed. If you don’t want to interact that closely with them, the actors are very good at respecting if you pull away. But if you are super shy, stay in the back of the groups that follow the actors around so you won’t get picked.
On the other hand, if you want a more intimate experience, go to the front and get close up. But remember always to give the actors their personal space. You can’t touch them unless invited. And some scenes explode with intense movements, and you’ll want to stand back to observe these performances. It’s important to respect everyone’s boundaries, that includes other audience members. Don’t push someone out of the way just to get ahead, the actors will notice, and that isn’t the kind of attitude that will get you a 1:1. And, of course, don’t be a creep.
Various employees wear black masks during the show. These black masks as security guards protecting the actors, securing the sets and keeping the audience from entering any off-limit areas. If you are using your phone or talking too loudly, they will step in to warn or remove you from the show. They are also there to give you directions if you are lost or need to find a washroom. But they won’t give away any secrets…
The Burnt City is a true tale of two cities, an apt comparison since the show was written just to be performed here in Charles Dicken’s London. And the city where Punchdrunk first originated and put on its first show. When you enter One Cartridge Place, you are stepping into an underworld representing the imagined ancient city of Mycenae (modern-day Greece) and Troy‘s pulsating neon back streets. The two cities occupy one of the two connecting warehouses converted for the Burnt City. Despite being inspired by Greek tragedies, the show is set in a dystopian future, inspired by films like Blade Runner and Metropolis.
Once you are through the coat check, you are given a playing card upon entering the Peep Bar. You wait here until your card number is called. Only then can you enter the world of the Burnt City. After your number is called, you’ll be led through a series of museum galleries containing glass cases preserving various artifacts from a fictional 19th-century excavation of Trojan ruins. Each one contains a small excerpt of the story we are about to see performed and the main characters therein.
Reading all the little details can be overwhelming when you just want to get into the show, but not to worry. This guide covers all that information (and MORE), so you’ll have come prepared. The last glass case of the exhibit is smashed. And the object inside is missing. As if something has been stolen or unleashed… And it is at this moment that you are given the choice of two doors to enter through, one leading to Mycenea, the other to Troy.
Mycenae is the smaller of the two buildings, but many of the biggest scenes occur here. Mycenae is a post-war abandoned city. Aged and tattered. While Mycenea feels like an ancient war zone, Troy feels like a throbbing Berlin nightclub. Or a night out on the streets of neon-laden Tokyo.
Two main Greek tragedies inspired the intertwining storylines inside the Burnt City. The first is Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, and the second is Euripides’ Hecuba. The main plot points from Agamemnon primarily occur in Mycenae, and the characters from Hecuba centre around Troy. But elements from either story intertwine and connect each city’s fate to each other. But more than just a connection between location and character, these stories revolve around the theme of grief and the tragedies that befall both the victor and victim after war.
I’ve outlined a short summary of these classic Greek Tragedies, as I think knowing the source texts is important in interpreting the show. And unlike the Shakespearean inspiration for Sleep No More, Greek Tragedies are much less common knowledge. But I’ve done my best only to discuss the source and not give away any spoilers particular to the Burnt City.
Aeschylus’s Agamemnon is a tragedy that tells the story of the Greek king Agamemnon. Agamemnon’s army was facing a devastating end. On their way to Troy, his entire fleet of ships was met with fierce winds on the seas and were stuck in a purgatorial loop. Agamemnon prayed to the God Artemis, needing a miracle to save his men and his fleet. Artemis told Agamemnon that if he sacrificed his young daughter Iphigenia, the gods would let the fleet cross the seas. Iphigenia was set to wed Agamemnon’s second-in-command, Neoptolemus, but the wedding was only a ruse. Right after the ceremony, Iphigenia is killed by her father. Right before the eyes of her beloved mother, Clytemnestra.
After the death of her daughter, Clytemnestra is overwhelmed with grief. With her husband at war in Troy, Clytemnestra takes a lover, Aegisthus and together, they plot revenge. When Agamemnon returns from Troy, he is stabbed by Clytemnestra in the bath and killed for murdering her daughter.
This story explores themes of justice and revenge. But moreover, the power of grief and the ceaseless love of a mother.
The second storyline, which is happening simultaneously, is Euripides’ Hecuba. Euripides’ Hecuba is a tragedy that follows the titular character, Hecuba, after the fall of Troy. Hecuba, once the queen of Troy, has been taken captive by the Greeks and is now a slave. Her daughter is killed by the invading army and Hecuba entrusts her youngest son to her neighbour and supposed ally, Polymestor. But Polymestor has no intention of saving Polydorus. Once Troy falls, Polymestor kills Polydorus and steals their family jewels.
Hecuba finds out her son has been murdered and flies into a murderous rage. Hecuba tricks Polymestor into meeting with her under the guise of telling him where the rest of the jewels of Troy reside. But along with the help from other enslaved people from Troy, they kill Polymestor’s sons and stab out his eyes. In revenge for her lost children.
Hecuba explores themes of revenge and justice. But primarily studies the horrors that befall women after the war. And the sacrifices a mother must make to seek vengeance for her family.
Watching all of this take place are the gods Hades and Persephone, King and Queen of the Underworld. The myth of Hades and Persephone is one of the most well-known stories from Greek mythology. It tells the tale of how Hades abducted Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter. He stole her away and took her down to the underworld to be his wife. Hades offered Persophone a blood-red pomegranate; unknowingly, she ate six seeds from the forbidden fruit.
Demeter, Persephone’s mother, was devastated by her daughter’s disappearance. She asked Zeus to intervene and had him broker a deal. Because Persephone had eaten six seeds, Zeus decreed that Persephone would six months of the year with Hades in the underworld and the rest of the year with Demeter on earth. This is where we get the changing of the seasons. The barren winter months represent when Persephone is in the underworld, and the fertile spring and summer months represent her joyous reunion on earth with her mother.
While these two central storylines cover the main characters, a dozen or so side characters make up the rich tapestry of the story of the Burnt City. This includes lovers, other gods, tricksters and more, all with unique and rich narratives. All worth exploring and learning more about for yourself. Since these characters’ stories aren’t based on a pre-existing narrative, they can be a little looser and require more interpretation from the viewer.
The Peep Bar is where you wait upon entering the theatre, but it also can be reentered through a doorway in the backstreets of Troy. The Peep Bar remains open after the performance (except during matinees.) Often, bands play here, so it’s a lively spot to continue the night with your friends and talk about the show!
Unlike the bar in Sleep no More, which is primarily a place to come, take off your mask, and unwind if you find the show a bit overwhelming, the Peep Bar is also a part of the show itself! Various characters come into the bar to perform a series of dances, and some even might treat you to a song or two! While I wouldn’t recommend spending an entire loop in the bar, if you follow a character and end up here, it’s worth seeing what happens.
The question of who to follow is difficult, and I think people will often simply tell you to follow what sparks your curiosity. And while that is good advice, if you’re reading this blog and came in search of guidance, you might be looking for something more informative than that.
My personal and admittedly biased advice? Follow a key/main character from Mycenea for the first loop. Someone like Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Iphegina. They will help you piece together the more concrete aspects of that story. For the second loop, follow someone who will take you through the neon streets of Troy, like Polymestor (who has an especially heartbreaking storyline) or Hecuba. And finally, follow a God or other interesting side character for the last loop.
But honestly, if someone interests you or if you want to know more about anything you see, follow that path without question or hesitation. Exploring is all the fun, and with the knowledge from this post, you’ll already be set to discover the meaning behind so many discoveries inside.
If you had the pleasure of seeing the Burnt City and came here looking for answers, I hope you found this guide helpful! If you are seeing it for the first time, I hope you use this as a companion to the show itself. There is so much more to discover by uncovering the layers of this incredibly immersive experience.
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