PLAY REVIEW: Storehouse ★★

Sage&Jester have taken over a giant warehouse in Deptford to stage the latest immersive theatre experience in London, Storehouse. Currently booking until 20 September, it’s an ambitious project.

Inside STOREHOUSE lies a hidden archive, collating every news article, message, post, and tweet since the dawn of the internet in 1983, operating under the belief that if all truth of humanity is aggregated, a greater, more important truth of life and existence will be revealed. Some forty years into the operation the trustees (visitors) are invited to tour the facility and make decisions on the project’s future. But during the tour, things don’t go quite as planned and bigger questions are in need of answering.

The setup is quite stark from the outside, which fits the production very well. Visitors are sorted into different reception groups upon arrival, being sent to their respective reception room where they are handed welcome drinks and check in before receiving a video introduction. Once everyone is inside the facility, each reception group enters the first stop, the book binders, to start their adventures.

Each area and room is decorated beautifully, set design is not just functional but absolutely gorgeous, with so many details to discover and very varying sets to be found. Unfortunately there isn’t any time to roam freely, as the actors do usher visitors through the storyline in a large group. There are some interactive elements, but it is mostly an atmospheric-immersive production rather than visitors having freedom to roam and interact at will. There are so many different kinds of immersive theatre nowadays, it’s always difficult to know what to expect of any given production.

The storyline that unfolds feels a bit messy and confusing, the underlying idea not quite connecting fully to the plot and the actors occasionally struggling with the size of the groups when several reception rooms mingle together. Every visitor is definitely recruited to interact in some way, though these interactions are entirely prompted and will not change the plot significantly.

There is definitely need to tighten up the plot, perhaps deepen the understanding of what the Storehouse facility was built for and how it is supposed to work. It does feel like a gorgeous wonderland to wander through, yet the meaning and purpose aren’t clearly defined, they seem like rather lofty ideas woven together.

However, the set alone is definitely worth a visit, it’s a stunningly beautiful structure that has so much detail and variety to offer. A moody set that seems organic, almost with a breathing rhythm and heartbeat of its own.