Following sensational responses in Sydney and Perth, A Midnight Visit unveils its fresh Melbourne incarnation this July in a deceptively ordinary North Melbourne abandoned warehouse, transforming the cavernous space into a 36 room theatrical playground like nothing the city’s seen before.
Inspired by the works of macabre master Edgar Allan Poe, A Midnight Visit follows in the footsteps of internationally renowned projects like New York’s Sleep No More, re-defining the immersive experience by creating a truly all encompassing world.
Part choose-your-own-adventure, part film-set, part performance, part sound-world, A Midnight Visit is all parts absorbing. Providing a tantalizingly shape-shifting experience from night to night for every person who embarks on this dark, beguilingly beautiful journey, this is no cookie cutter presentation. This is custom made theatrical couture!
Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters embodied by a cohort of performers whose diverse backgrounds include theatre, circus and burlesque, A Midnight Visit’s epic and innovative design is a captivating character of its own.
Featuring sound design and composition from video game makers Kpow; stunningly detailed sets developed by a team of designers, scenic artists, props makers and master builders; and costumes by theatre designer Melanie Liertz, the stellar team of over 100 creatives has been assembled by co-creators Danielle Harvey (Director) and Kirsten Siddle (Creative Producer).
Danielle and Kirsten came together to form Broad Encounters after being inspired to take the leap from curators to creators following roles with the Sydney Opera House, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Melbourne Recital Centre.
“We saw a gap, a need for something we would have loved to program, but which didn’t exist. Not on the scale we were craving, so we went out and made it,” says Harvey. “Drawing from steam punk, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick and contemporary classics like Stranger Things, we wanted to create an experience that explores themes of madness, guilt, death, impermanence and memory – just the small things in life.”
“Set inside one of Poe’s dreams (not that you need to know anything about the master of the macabre), it’s a place where the characters from his life and his literature collide. It’s sometimes funny, sometimes sexy, sometimes wistful, and yes, sometimes a little bit scary!” added Harvey.
“We know audiences are craving an opportunity to get out of the conventions of traditional arts venues, to get amongst it, to feel it, to be transported in every way possible”, says Siddle. “We’re not simply responding to or inhabiting the space, we’re creating a fully formed fantasy world for audiences to explore freely.”
“Having watched as Sydney and Perth audiences left utterly entranced, some returning multiple times, we can’t wait to unleash A Midnight Visit on Melbourne in this fresh iteration,” added Siddle.
“Mind-blowing… An amazing maze with surprises both devilish and delightful around every corner.” – The West Australian
A Midnight Visit
House of Usher – Funeral Services, 222 Macaulay Road, North Melbourne
Season: 30 July – 15 September 2019
Information and Bookings: www.amidnightvisit.com
Image: A Midnight Visit, The Bride – photo by Ian Gillespie