A Midnight Visit

Step inside the spellbinding labyrinth that is A Midnight Visit, the fantastical, spooky and highly entertaining immersive theatre experience. Things you need to take for your hour plus journey: courage, an active imagination and someone fun to take along. Expect to be separated, to see passageways close and open and then close again, and ultimately be reunited. Anything can happen.

‘This uniquely Melbourne production allows audiences to choose their own journey through our wonderland. They may delight in exploring the many sets and props or they may choose to follow one of our characters through dozens of scenes,’ says co-creator and the show’s director Danielle Harvey.

There is really nothing like A Midnight Visit in Melbourne – an impressive feat in itself. The macabre and morbid two-storey underworld encompasses 36 themed rooms with thousands of props and artefacts that you are free to interact with. Within specific rooms, you may come into contact with a range of artists, who animate the space with cabaret, circus, text-based recitations, dance or song. A highlight of the night was the reenactment of Juliet’s monologue, the moment before she swallows the poison in Romeo and Juliet.

There is no right or wrong way to “do” A Midnight Visit. This is what happened to Milk Bar Mag: we arrived on the opening night and congregated with other guests in a funeral parlour. Among the polished coffins we were sorted into different groups, which determined our right of entry into the House of Usher. Anticipation in a tizzy, I was separated from my friend and set off alone …

The next hour or so were spent reuniting with said friend, watching Edgar Allen Poe-inspired reenactments, stumbling upon a ball room, walking through many dark pathways, and ultimately ended meeting in the red room, which kinda give me an off-Twin Peaks vibe.

Due to its huge popularity, A Midnight Visit has extended its stay till Sunday, 13 October. Captivating, awe-inspiring and ghoulish, this is one immersive theatre experience that you cannot pass up.

A Midnight Visit
Open till Sunday, 13 October 2024
House of Usher, Funeral Services, 222 Macaulay Road, North Melbourne, 3051
amidnightvisit.com