'Something is unfolding here in Elsinore. For weeks the strikes have been intensifying—but there’s a new mood tonight as Carnival approaches. There’s a vivid sense of an era ending—a new age opening up. The timber workers feel it… and the royals too. Inside the palace there are whispers… the King’s death, the grinning Queen, the agitated Prince… And the ancient forest is wild again, groaning—restless... It seems to me that everything is part of a broader picture—that no matter where you look, it will tell the whole wicked story.
'In a landmark production of unmissable storytelling, Malthouse Theatre launches an immersive theatre work on a scale never seen before in Australia. An entire world has been constructed for you to explore: follow the royals through the palace, roam the length of a town on the cusp of the digital age, or sift through the drawers of a single desk. Whatever you choose, a story will play out around you of a regime on the edge of collapse. You are a silent witness in the halls of power on a pivotal night in history. Move, venture deeper, listen closely, because the night will soon be lost—and all its secrets with it.
'Because The Night is an immersive theatre show. The show is experienced by moving through the world of Elsinore as the story plays out around you.
'The actors cannot 'see' you, and will never touch or talk to you. You are a silent witness to the story.
'Enter the sprawling world of Elsinore from one of three entrance rooms: the Bedroom, the Gymnasium, or the Royal Office. The story commences with different characters' perspectives before you are invited to explore the expanse that awaits you.
'Follow the characters as their stories intersect, or go off the beaten track to discover the secrets of the town. Every choice you make is the right choice, for whatever path you take will uncover the mysteries of Because The Night.
'If you are experiencing Because The Night as a group, it is recommended you start at different entrances. Whether you choose to explore together, or split up to discover the world alone, your journey is yours to take as you wish.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Produced by Malthouse Theatre from 23 March 2021.
Director: Matthew Lutton.
Set Designer (Architecture): Dale Ferguson.
Set Designer (Interiors): Marg Horwell and Matilda Woodroofe.
Composition and Sound Designer: J. David Franzke.
Lighting Designer: Amelia Lever-Davidson.
Costume Designer: Kat Chan.
Assistant Director: Bridget Balodis.
Dramaturg: Mark Pritchard.
Cast: Nicole Nabout & Maria Theodorakis (Claudia), Belinda McClory & Jennifer Vuletic (Gertrude), Khisraw Jones-Shukoor & Keegan Joyce (Hamlet), Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi & Harvey Zielinski (Laertes), Tahlee Fereday & Artemis Ioannides (Ophelia), and Rodney Afif & Syd Brisbane (Polonius).
Production cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, effective from 26 September 2021.
'A transportive, immersive, choose your own theatrical adventure.'
'The real star of Because the Night – the immersive theatre show that has taken over Melbourne’s Malthouse – is the production’s mega-installation set. By Alison Croggon.'
'Because the Night is a decadent and elaborate production based on Hamlet, and a radical post-lockdown return for Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre'
'Because the Night is a decadent and elaborate production based on Hamlet, and a radical post-lockdown return for Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre'
'The real star of Because the Night – the immersive theatre show that has taken over Melbourne’s Malthouse – is the production’s mega-installation set. By Alison Croggon.'
'A transportive, immersive, choose your own theatrical adventure.'