Total darkness, a set of headphones and a lift going further and further down. These are all the things I can really say are certain about Darkfield’s provocative immersive piece of theatre that pushes you, relaxes you and puts you on edge all at once.
You are given an opportunity to leave and asked a few esoteric questions about yourself before the lift you are in begins to descend. You hear the chatter of what you think are other participants, but can’t quite tell. You arrive on one level, and check into some kind of room. There is an artefact of what you cannot tell.
The experience of EULOGY is a truly disconcerting one; the fragments of conversation you catch fill you with fear of what you know is inevitably coming your way. The lift descends further, there is talk of escape, people disappear, and the lights stay off. Darkfield are sharp and nuanced in how they use the experience of participation, sewing the seeds of mistrust and descent. They ask what it means to participate in what is eventually a heinous act.
Review by Tom Carter
EULOGY is a surreal, otherworldly journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel that exists entirely in your mind. How you arrived is a mystery and why you’re there remains unclear. Just make sure you read the pamphlet.
Performed in complete darkness, this exhilarating ride uses binaural sound and speech recognition technology to deceive the senses and transport audience members through the bowels of this strange hotel. How your dream unfolds is, in part, up to you. EULOGY premiered as part of the London BFI Film Festival 2021 and has toured venues in the UK and Australia.
EULOGY
Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe
2 to 25 August 2025
