Alexandra Palace digs into its derelict basements for immersive Victorian show
The derelict basements of Alexandra Palace are to be transformed into a theatre space as part of a new festival taking place this summer.
The cavernous hallways of the Grade II listed building, which were used as an internment camp during the First World War, have previously been open to the public only occasionally, for walking tours.
Now theatre company RIFT plans to use them for a dramatic immersive Victorian experience, based loosely on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Angela Carter’s novel Nights At The Circus.
The event will feature four hours of content as part of the Kaleidoscope festival in July. Felix Mortimer, co-founder of RIFT, said he wanted to capture the history of Alexandra Palace from the 1880s onwards. The show will feature a mix of characters who have been trapped in the basement “putting on their own festivities”, with visitors discovering “hidden peripheral spaces”.
“It is about the history of Ally Pally,” he said. “When it was built, a gypsy curse said it would burn down three times — it has happened twice ... It is theatre by osmosis, deep in its belly.
“We have this idea of how all these characters get stuck in the basement with audience members entering an installation.”
The Kaleidoscope event is a precursor to a month-long run later in the year.
Mortimer, 31, said there was an increasing demand for theatre which challenged perceptions: “There is much more appetite for things which are more immersive and Alexandra Palace has realised that. It is always exciting and inspiring when you find a new space to explore and understand what hides in the walls — to play with new forms of performance.”
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The historic building in north London is undergoing a £26 million restoration project to save its east wing. The work will also bring back to life a Victorian theatre which has been hidden for more than 80 years.
The new Kaleidoscope festival, on July 21, will feature comedy, poetry and headline performances from The Flaming Lips and Mystery Jets. A team from the Science Museum will also provide educational demonstrations for younger visitors.
Details at kaleidoscope-festival.com
