Reykjavik – Pulse Fringe Festival, Town Hall Galleries

Arriving at the Ipswich Council Chamber audience members are handed a white forensic suit to wear and a pair of paint covered goggles. So Reykjavik isn’t going to be your traditional theatre experience. Nor is it a play about the banking crisis or Eyjafjallajokull, but a powerful and emotional exploration of love and memory.

This is totally immersive theatre, the white clad audience are led into the performance area to watch a series of images on a white sheet before the sheet is partially lifted and the audience feed through into a larger white space. This is a promenade performance that sees the audience led through a variety of scenes, no passive viewing here, the audience are totally absorbed into the production and encouraged to reflect on their own thoughts and memory.

It is a moving and emotional event as we follow one mans journey through love, hope and despair in the Icelandic capital.

Lighting, multimedia and an evocative soundscape create a unique multi sensory experience that totally grips throughout. Props are cleverly produced to create a multitude of locations and a series of powerful tableaux.

Conceived and led by Jonathan Young assisted by Sinikka Kyllönen and Steve Loader for Shams Theatre this theatre at is absolute best. Powerful, groundbreaking, emotional and thought provoking. Like the acclaimed Kursk this is a show that redefines theatre boundaries and shows the potential of theatre to explore raw human emotion.

Reykjavik will be touring to the Edinburgh Fringe in August and if you get the chance to catch this stunning work jump at the chance.