Looking for a Fringe World show with a difference?
Lost in the Hollow invites audiences to crack riddles, uncover secrets and race the clock in a fast-paced, 70-minute immersive puzzle hunt where nothing is quite as it seems. The latest instalment of Tales of the Cursed King from the team at REmida Perth, the experience drops players into a mischievous maze of mystery and mayhem—part escape room, part life-sized board game—where every decision inches you closer to triumph or total defeat.
Guided (and goaded) by the enigmatic Host, participants must think fast, work together and, at times, bend the rules to survive as the experience unfolds at REmida Perth from Friday, January 23 until Friday, February 6, with tickets on sale now. James Thorn caught up with the architect of the chaos, Paul Armishaw, to find out more.
What inspired you to incorporate life-size board game elements into an immersive experience? Did any particular board games have an influence on the show?
We really wanted to blend a competitive aspect into the show and increase the stakes for the audience. There’s no guarantee of a happy ending. If the Host…our antagonist…wins, the audience is then faced with the consequences of that loss, even if it is indirectly.
Lost in the Hollow is the latest instalment in Tales of the Cursed King within the Warehousiam Saga Universe. Can you share with us more about this world and how the concept came to be?
All our shows fall within the same, shared universe. The Warehousiam is a mystical oddity that exists at no specific point in time; it is everywhere and nowhere all at once. At some point, everything passes through the Warehousiam, and some things, creatures and people included, can get stuck there, unless someone helps to set them back on their way. Tales of the Cursed King are the individual stories or moments that the audience experiences.
For audiences familiar with your 2024 production The Cursed King, what’s one thing you’re doing differently for Lost in the Hollow and one thing that hasn’t changed?
The stakes are higher. If the audience loses to the Host, they potentially face a much darker turn of events at the end of the night. The audience can also select their difficulty level for the evening before the show commences. The choices range from beginner through to virtually-no-chance-of-success.
For audience members who have never been to an interactive show before, what should they expect? How does it make Lost in the Hollow different from other Fringe shows?
You’re an active part of the show; it is fast-paced, and you need to work somewhat collaboratively to succeed. The performers work with the audience and make sure to challenge people but not push them beyond their comfort zones. Lost in the Hollow isn’t a panto; the audience is another character in the story, and their actions have a direct bearing on the outcome.
On the flip side, what kind of performer does it take to adapt to those audience decisions on the fly? What memorable surprises have you had to work with in a live setting?
That’s a great question. You need to suspend your own expectations while not losing sight of where you need the audience to land at the end of the show. Some audiences are amazing and come ready to throw themselves in and have a crack. Other groups are more reserved, and you have to nudge them along more carefully. If your focus is on the audience’s experience, rather than your own expectations, you’ll have a good show.
I love it when the audience tries to convince me they’ve solved a puzzle when they clearly haven’t, but they fully commit to their answer being right. And sometimes it works to their advantage. We have been known to let some things slide when the audience fully commits to their cause!
What’s your favourite thing about working in the immersive show format?
Every show is different. When you open the door and greet the audience for the first time, in character, no one really knows what’s going to happen next. It’s that energy and uncertainty that brings the show alive. We’re also super fortunate to have such an amazing venue. ReMida Perth is a fascinating place even before it transforms for the show, and watching the audience experience the venue and the show is really something quite special.
Catch Lost in the Hollow at REmida Perth from Friday, January 23 until Friday, February 6.
Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au
