Edgeland - Limbik Theatre (11.06.2025)

Limbik Theatre and Norwich Theatre have combined once again to bring you the latest instalment of their Beyond initiative, bringing theatre into new and interesting spaces.

Set at Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Sweetbriar Marsh, this new production, called Edgeland, takes the form of a nature tour which takes a slightly sinister turn as a mystery over the disappearance of a young woman begins to unravel.

Largely making use of binaural technology via over-ear headphones, the show is a multi-sensory experience that combines immersive audio, live action, choral movement, and of course a walk through the peaceful setting of the marshes.

It started with a coach ride from the theatre to the location, where we were invited to put on our headsets and listen to the music picked to book-end the production. Just before our arrival, we were then introduced (via the headsets) to our thoroughly engaging tour guide, Dawn, before meeting her in-person at the entrance to the marshes.

From here, we were regaled with a handful of facts about the nature around us, before a disembodied child's voice interrupts to let us know that our host isn't all she seems. This was my favourite part of the piece, with the cynical co-host dismissing Dawn's earnest attempts at a nature tour, and taking the production into more ominous territory. The voice acting, here in particular, was superb.

Throughout, we were also played audio clips in the form of tantalising flashbacks to offer clues as to what happened to the young woman. These parts were interspersed with a community cast dressed in an assortment of costumes, ranging from hawthorns and fire, to dragonflies and a choir. While the gently choreographed routines sometimes complemented the theatre playing out in our ears, at other times, the minimal movements from the figures in the marshland meant it lacked any impact. Sometimes the handsome setting was enough.

The production ended with the mystery being pleasingly solved, and our narrator delivering some emotional home truths. The performance was hamstrung slightly by a completely dry marsh, in what would have been a more impactful conclusion had there been water to wade through, but they can't be blamed for the weather!

Overall, it was a well put together piece, with the tech working perfectly in sync with the performers and the live setting, in what was a frequently engaging production. For a show that doesn't last all too long, it does ask a lot in terms of time from its audience. I arrived at the theatre as requested by 6.30pm and wasn't delivered back until 9.30pm - so make sure you are prepared.

Edgeland continues until 15 June. Tickets can be booked via norwichtheatre.org