1884, Shoreditch Town Hall Review
Photo by Alex Brenner.Reviewed by Charlotte for Theatre and Tonic.
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Content warnings – explores themes of colonialism, power, resistance, and protest. Contains audience interaction, loud music, microphone amplified speech and light changes.
Welcome to Wilhelm Street, a brand new development that is going to be your new home. However, as you’re moving in, thinking up some traditions and interior designs there’s a meeting going on somewhere, deciding how your life will be from now on. Based on the Berlin Conference, 1884 is an exploration of society, history and legacies. An immersive history lesson, this is a lot more fun than being at school.
We are welcomed to Shoreditch Town Hall, and told this is an experience we are best off experiencing with people we have never met before. We are invited to join a table of no more than seven people and get to know each other before things kick off. On our table is a floor plan, stationary and a mobile phone. Intrigued and slightly internally terrorised at the thought of an immersive show, I settled down and got to work!
I’ve never pretended to enjoy immersive shows or audience participation. I was a shy child, elements of which haven’t left me as I’ve gotten older. However, I can genuinely say 1884 was an amazing, memorable experience. Nothing felt awkward at all, and having the time to chat to the other participants first really eased me in. You are encouraged to participate, of course, but not forced to do anything outside of your comfort zone. Even as a bit of an introvert, I felt very comfortable and enjoyed the experience. It is important to mention that every 1884 performance is relaxed, so you can move around and leave the room as you please.
1884 is a two part show, with the first part being a lot longer. During this part we work as a team – our ‘houses’ – to come up with a house name, a knock, decide how to decorate our house and think up some house traditions. We are asked to think about what ‘home’ means to us, and what household items remind us most of home. This was enjoyable, and nice to hear the thoughts of people who we had only just met. Throughout the first part we meet the local MP, the friendly postwoman and local character Henrietta, all while a local DJ presents live from the Wilhelm Estate. The postwoman delivers letters to every table, giving us creative tasks to complete, and each table is encouraged to give up two personal items for ‘Council Tax’.
After a spell of giving housewarming gifts to other tables – we were very lucky and received an air fryer and a bottle of whisky – and arranging community meet ups, things take a more sinister turn, and we are informed of ‘the meeting’. It’s time to make a crucial decision… do we comply or do we risk being punished for noncompliance? We are provided with forms upon forms to complete and warnings about noncompliance. Suddenly home doesn’t quite feel like a safe place anymore…
There’s not much I can write about part two without spoiling it for people who may attend in the future, but I will say that 1884 ended on a very clever and thought-provoking note. Totally unlike anything I’ve experienced before. What I absolutely love about 1884 is that part two was basically a big aspect of part two is dictated by the people taking part, meaning that no two performances will be the same.
A lot of 1884 rings true to 2024, particularly right now where protests are being heavily scrutinised and commented upon and past years where compliance has also been a big topic. I’m sure I’m not the only one shuddering at remembering being told we ‘must stay at home’ in 2020. History is very much in the making right now, but how exactly will this be recorded and presented to future generations. In 2124 will future generations be looking at face coverings, placards, hand sanitiser and photographs of women being pinned down by police at protests? The answer if likely yes, but the real question is how will this time in history be recorded for them? What context will they be provided with?
Overall, I cannot praise 1884 enough. It was a comfortable experience with any possible need taken into consideration. I couldn’t recommend it enough to anybody, it was a truly fun, clever and thought-provoking evening.
At Shoreditch Town Hall until 27th April 2024
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
