Stepping into another universe

Established after a chance conversation between Justin Palmer and Hannah Drake in a pub in 2014, site-specific immersive theatre company Insane Root have built up an impressive list of coups in the seven years since.

They have put on ambitious shows in unique locations never before used for theatre; from Macbeth in the darkness of Redcliffe caves, to Orpheus & Eurydice deep inside the vaults of Clifton Suspension Bridge, and Romeo & Juliet in Eastville Park’s Old Swimming Pool Garden.

As they geared up towards rehearsals, Bristol 24/7 spoke to the co-founders about their new Christmas production, Hansel & Gretel, which will be running in Arnos Vale Cemetery Woodlands throughout December.

Although there is a palpable darkness that pervades the classic fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel is Insane Root’s first explicitly family-orientated show (the age recommendation is 7+). Created to be an outdoor promenade production for wintery evenings, it promises to be a visceral and exhilarating experience that puts audiences of all ages right inside the narrative as it unfolds around them.

George Attwell Gerhards in rehearsals as Hansel, Alan Devally as the Witch, Katy Sobey and Dumile Sibanda as Gretel – photo: Craig Fuller

You will physically go on an adventure with the characters,” says Palmer, who is producer at the company. “It’s about being open to the unexpected. What I really love about this way of working is that you start to look around and you might notice things that possibly aren’t part of the show but that will enhance that experience – because the environment really is another character for us.”

The DNA running through every Insane Root show is summed up in their mission statement ‘to provide theatrical experiences rooted in extraordinary places’ – in other words, ‘stories you know, in places you don’t’. Not only is its evocative and beautiful landscape memorable, but the opportunities that Arnos Vale presented for a promenade performance were self-evident from the start, and the site felt like a natural pairing for a classic fairy tale sprinkled with a touch of the uncanny.

For show director Drake, the overall aesthetic has the alchemical effect of stepping into another universe. The setting weaves together a soundscape – merging natural, recorded sounds and live acapella singing – with imaginative use of light, and a structured route around the site that accommodates some hidden corners and the opportunity to split the audience into separate groups along the way. “It’s an intimate experience, and you’re really up close with the actors as well,” she reflects. “It feels like you’re stepping out of time.”

And though some audience members may feel a little out of their comfort zone, Drake is keen to reassure them, emphasise the bonding nature of such an immersive show with a small group of people (shows start on the half hour, from 4pm-8.30pm daily, with numbers capped at 30 for each one). “One of the things the writer Saikat Ahamed and I talked about about a lot is the idea of community, and how that’s been affected by the pandemic,” she explains.

“One of the fundamental things about theatre is that we’re all coming together to share a story. So you can embrace t

Christopher Bianchi as the Witch, photo: Craig Fuller

he reality of the fact you’re walking over mud and you’re in the woods, but actually there’s also a really rich sensory imaginative world that we can tap into, because we’re humans in a place together.”

Logistically, Hansel & Gretel is the most complicated undertaking in the company’s history. Supporting three casts performing up to 10 shows daily, there is a big engine room on site working out audience routes, cast short cuts and complex stage management protocols. There will also be stewards looking after people as they progress around the site.

The whole journey is about 550m, which includes an uphill walk to the Underwood Centre – reimagined as the gingerbread house – up to Sunshine Corner and then back down the road, on a route designed to prevent one audience from coming head to head with the next. For anyone concerned about the accessibility of the terrain, or not yet comfortable with in-person shows from a Covid-safety perspective, there will be a filmed performance made available online at a later stage.

Those who do come to experience the show live will experience the blurred boundaries between lightness, comedy, and the darker core of the story. Ultimately, Palmer hopes that it will make for the ideal production for Christmas, and “a celebration of the fact we can bring people back together at last”.

In their inclusive approach to theatre, too, Insane Root are trying to break down barriers. Though their core following is strong, on surveying their audience for a previous production, Drake recalls that around half of them wouldn’t initially have considered themselves to be theatregoers. “There’s a good percentage that get dragged along,” smiles Palmer, “and then we get feedback that they really loved it because it’s completely different from what they were expecting.”

Daniel Crespin as Hansel and Dumile Sibanda as Gretel – photo: Craig Fuller

Converting to a charity during lockdown ensures the company can now seek funding and subsidy for future productions, helping to keep ticket prices affordable, employ local talent, and grow their commitment to opening up opportunities for young people keen to experience the industry.

There are ambitious plans for the future, too. Eventually evolving into a national organisation, building commissions in different areas, Insane Root may yet grow into a company of the stature of West Country success stories like Kneehigh, or site specific theatre makers Wildworks. However, as Drake points out, “understanding a place takes time”, and potential growth won’t happen unless it feels authentic to the philosophy that underpins their approach.

Beyond Hansel &Gretel, the company is working with Arnos Vale alongside the charity Grief Encounter, whose Bristol Therapy Centre is based in Knowle, to build a legacy trail around the cemetery, helping people to explore their own journies with grief. The idea for the trail seemed to be a natural fit with the theatrical production, as it began to take shape.

“One of the themes in the show is that you have these two young people who lost a parent, and the way they behave is informed by that loss,” says Drake. “The theme of grief came out partly from the story, but also because of the experience we’ve all been through in the last 18 months, and that we’re still going through now.

“So much of the pandemic has been instilled with grief, whether it’s because you’ve actually lost somebody, or because you’ve lost your identity or your job or you’ve just lost your trust in what the world is. We wanted to allow that to be a touchstone within the story, and then through the trail, to provide resources afterwards that people can use.” It is hoped the trail will be open in early February 2022, and will run for six months to a year.

James Jip as Hansel – photo: Craig Fuller

Hansel & Gretel is at Arnos Vale from Wednesday, December 1, to Saturday, January 1 2022. Tickets are available at www.insaneroot.org.uk. Audiences are advised that although limited parking is available, it is essential to pre-book spaces in advance; this can be done when booking tickets.

Main photo: Craig Fuller

Read more: Review: Rumpelstiltskin, The New Room

Listen to the latest episode of the Bristol 24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: