Punchdrunk has announced it was cutting down its show time for performances of The Burnt City during the spell of hot weather.
The immersive theatre company said it was “slightly amending” the format of its acclaimed show The Burnt City in order to “allow greater comfort for both the cast and the audience”.
Performances of The Burnt City, which tells the story of the fall of Troy, takes place across two warehouse buildings in Woolwich and can last up to three hours.
Unlike traditional theatre shows, audiences at Punchdrunk do not have seats and are invited to roam around the elaborate sets as the story unfolds.
However, with soaring temperatures across the capital and highs of up to 35C forecast for next week, producers have decided to bring forward the show’s ending time by 30 minutes.
They also said the first half an hour of the show will be “more exploratory time in the building” before the performance starts.
This, they said, was to ensure the “safety of the cast and company”.
A spokesperson told the Standard: “During the extremely hot weather we are currently experiencing, Punchdrunk will be slightly amending the format of performances of The Burnt City to allow greater comfort for both the cast and the audience.
“The show, which can last up to three hours depending on the timeslot in which audiences choose to arrive, is incredibly physically intense for performers and the safety of the cast and company is always our priority.
“For audiences entering the space within the first thirty minutes, there will be more exploratory time in the building, offering the opportunity to discover the world of Greece and Troy at their leisure before the performances commence.
“The show ending will be brought forwards by thirty minutes after which time audiences are invited to stay for a drink in the bar.”
