Emerging theatre company Get Out Of My Space, in collaboration with Theatre with Teeth, will be taking over Exeter’s historic Poltimore House with new production Umbra, an immersive theatrical experience inspired by Woyzeck, Christian Shaw and the Peaky Blinders opening this May. Stepping inside the crumbling hallways of Poltimore House, audiences will be taken back to 1919 and immersed in a dark world of drinking, religion and organised crime as twisted demonic forces gradually worm their way into the minds of its inhabitants.
Featuring an ensemble cast of vividly realised characters, Umbra offers audiences true freedom over whose path they choose to follow through the corridors of the house; Jesse invites you in for the party of a lifetime, while Dante’s mind crumbles under the traumas of the First World War, and Christian Shaw is tempted by an offer from a mysterious stranger. As infidelities start to spread and supernatural influences take control, a wild night of debauchery morphs into something entirely darker.
Wherever audiences choose to roam, Umbra promises an unparalleled level of detail as the house will be transformed into a key part of the story, allowing audiences to flick through files and observe tiny details that will add further layers to story. Assistant Director James Hawley says ‘You’ll come out and discuss with your friends what you saw, what you didn’t see. It’s a hugely satisfying thing to walk in and lose yourself trying to find out what the story is and finding all the secrets of the house that we’ve hidden.’ The team behind the production even includes a designated Scent Designer who will be adding a multisensory layer to each of the environments in the house to create a fully immersive world.
The unique atmosphere of Poltimore House itself has been a key influence on the creation of the show. Director Tobias Cornwell said ‘It’s got so many different layers to it – it’s been a school, it’s been a hospital, it’s been a house, and you can see that in the layers of it. The atmosphere of the building itself is already there so we just have to build upon it, it seems like the perfect calling to use.’ Much of this 18th century manor house was destroyed in a fire 1987, after which it grew increasingly derelict until restoration efforts began in 2003. The house is now preserved in its state of decay, making it a perfectly surreal location for an immersive production.
By the time Umbra opens in May, Exeter will have suffered a significant loss with the closure of one of its most integral arts venues, the Bike Shed Theatre. This new project therefore represents the city’s artists looking beyond the existing handful of arts spaces in search of innovative ways of engaging with the city’s cultural history. As Umbra producer Florrie Taylor puts it, ‘It’s a very different style of theatre for Exeter. I don’t think anything like this has happened in Exeter for a while.’ Cornwell agrees, saying ‘People are screaming out for something different but they’re not getting it,’ and is promising a show that will truly invigorate the city.
You mightalso like
Umbra will be performed 30th May-1st June at Poltimore House, Exeter EX4 0AU. Tickets are on sale now.
