Darkfield is known for some innovative experiences, be it the recent Darkfield Radio which is a series of audio shows to do in the comfort of your own home or the infamous container shows all taking place in the pitch-black darkness of the interior of shipping containers. Darkfield has four of these containers in Seance, Flight, Coma and the new Eulogy. Each experience taps into different emotional and sensory triggers. Seance for instance is more creepy/disturbing whereas Flight is more psychological and mind-bending. These shows are simple in design but pack a punch throughout the usual 20/30 minutes experience and really transport you into a whole new reality. It is for this reason that Darkfields experiences are best done blind so to respect the show this review will be as spoiler-free as possible.
(Image: Darkfield website)
Upon entering Eulogy you will be given your "Suite" key card which will designate your seat. Mine was Underwood and Danes was Festinger. One you've been given your key card you will enter and find your seat. All I will say is this is your first surprise of the show. Once seated and your headsets are on, you will go through the usual pre-show, left and right announcements into the ears and a preview of darkness. Once everyone is settled in the lights go out and the show begins.
Unlike Seance or Flight, the start of Eulogy adds a whole new level of audience participation that feels like it won't make a difference but rest assured whatever you do in this segment will be remembered. Before long the journey begins. You meet your chaperone who induces you into a sleep state ready to journey into the Hotel, guiding you through the many floors of the establishment, each floor expanding on the story as the audio narrative unfolds. It's during the first floors where some clever scares hit and you start to question your location and what is going on around you. As the experience unfolds the show starts to hit on triggers of anxiety, choice and to an extent, claustrophobia. This is one of those shows where your choices will make a difference. Be careful what you kick and or who you might get in trouble with, just remember to follow the rules. By the time the show comes to its climax the true depth (pun intended) of the hotel will be revealed and will possibly leave you with the same question that stuck with us, Did we leave or even, can we ever leave? Are we trapped in some form of limbo and the usual Darkfield question What just happened?
It's hard to say which of Darkfields container anthologies is the most superior as all of the shows are so far apart from one another and will make you feel different emotions each time. I suppose we could class Eulogy as a mystery/unsettling thriller that like the others will stay with you and leave you asking questions long after your exit. Darkfield's Eulogy will be at Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre from the 22nd of September through till the 3rd of October before heading off to the London Film Festival 6th to the 17th October then returning back to Lakeside Arts 20th to the 31st of October. Tickets cost £12.50 or £8.00 for students. For more information and to book tickets you can visit the Darkfield website. You can also read our review for Flight here. Tickets for Darkfield Radio's Knot are currently also available. Tickets cost £22.50. More information on this can be found here.
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