Paris, 1917: as war is raging in the outside world, the cabaret Le Phénix is the last safe place to savor the joys of life.
Tonight, we are invited to Blanche’s wedding, the little protégée who grew up in the cabaret and is about to say “yes” to the love of her life, Vadim. But the tables will turn tonight and everyone’s lives at Le Phénix are about to change forever…
Close is the first immersive show by Big Drama, an immersive theatre company from Paris. They have created here an ambitious original show, where audience members are invited to dive into Paris during wartime, with all its challenges and cherished moments of joy.
We are first welcomed by a charming hostess who takes our personal belongings and gives us delicate masks to wear before we enter Le Phénix. In the bar, we have the time to savor champagne cocktails while viewing old kinky movies from the early 20th century.
We are then greeted by a dapper performer who introduces us to the world we are about to enter. We are invited to travel back in time to the First World War, where so many men are sacrificed on the battlefield and where the civilians who stayed are experiencing grief and loss everyday. We are also reminded that being a woman, queer, or a gay person was also hard and that many of them are persecuted. But Le Phénix is a safe place where everyone is accepted as they are and where they can express themselves.
As we make our way deeper into Le Phénix, we see a beautiful, warm and highly-detailed environment. Blanche and the ladies from the cabaret welcome us. During the show, audience members can choose their own track (I estimated about 5–6 possibilities), jumping from room to room, character to character. If you have a “VIP” pass, you will get to influence the end of the story.
My party is on the “VIP” track where we become Blanche’s bridesmaids and our host invites us to go to her room, to help her get dressed for the upcoming ceremony. (The other guests will enter a bit later in the space and so we get to be in a special scene to toast the future bride.)
By overhearing or taking part in conversations, reading letters, smelling perfumes, singing along with the performers, and exploring the hidden corners, we are immediately taken out of space and time.
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The characters in Close are rich and complex, and they are truly connecting with the audience. We get into private and deep conversations, we dance, we sing together and we hug.
We could tell that the cast really worked on building their relationships — you see that they all know each other like they do in the story, co-habitating in closed doors in a cabaret. We really feel like we are included in their world, in their friendship circle.
To keep enough mystery on this brilliant show, I’ll just say that the story was amazingly rich and unexpected, going against all the clichés of usual wartime stories — using important themes like consent, feminism, inclusivity and empowerment.
Big Drama took a risk to make an original immersive theatre show where the world is wide enough for you to explore, you can choose your path and you be part of a deep narrative. That risk paid off. In the end, you have shared these characters lives for a few hours but it seems like you’ve known them forever and you really care for their destiny.
You are leaving the Phénix with something more than memories: friends.
Close has concluded. Learn more about Big Drama.
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