Room 13 by Immersive Octopus – Battersea Arts Centre, London

Room 13 plays with the premise that the disastrous 2015 fire which destroyed the Great Hall at Battersea Arts Centre, and from which it almost miraculously recovered, has released a demon. More than likely in a rambling complex full of hidden rooms and spaces, which was once entirely taken over by Punchdrunk’s Masque of the Red Death. This, too, is immersive theatre but on a smaller scale. There is a fair amount of pre-amble – a health and safety waiver, a waiting area with photos of the fire, and a randomised selection process, putting the audience into groups. We are brought to the door by an ushers, who warns us to keep silent to avoid raising the spirits, then guided through dark corridors and veils of curtain by a man in an antiquated costume. The show takes place around tables, where we have puzzles to solve involving occult-style symbols and statues. Then the lights go out. It very silly, but undeniably fun.

Room 13, directed by Tom Maller, was the shortest show I had ever seen, clocking in at 35 minutes. This status lasted only two days, overtaken by Caryl Churchill’s 20-minute Triumph. However, it is unusually brief, focused around some clever use of strobe lights and complete darkness, and some visceral sound effects. It is well-constructed and diverting, but it does feel like a rather limited experience, that could have been expanded extended – similar to the brand of shipping container-based work produced by Darkfield. In the context of the Edinburgh Festival, as part of the overall atmosphere and with any number of longer shows to see, it is very successful, but as an evening out it falls between two stools.