Le Secret presents an open-world version of Hamlet in Paris
What would you say if we told you there was a Hamlet immersive theatre piece playing every weekend in an abandoned factory in the historic center of Paris?
Le Secret is the first venue in Paris entirely dedicated to immersive experiences, in a beautiful old factory of 13,000 square feet near the Seine. They will play Hamlet — Château d’Helsingør every weekend until the end of October.
Founded by Léonard Matton, the director of the place and the play, and produced by A2R Compagnie, Helsingør is a classic immersive theatre piece based on Shakespeare’s text.
(An important thing to disclose now: the play is only in French, and is really word-centered, so if you’re not fluent, it might be difficult to follow.)
The storyline begins with you, being invited to Hamlet’s castle to spend an evening among the noble persons, as a courtier. At your arrival, you are invited to check your bag and cellphone (mandatory) before entering the place. Beautifully decorated under a canopy, a garden space with finger food and drinks will welcome you.
Bracelets of different colors are distributed to each guest; the color indicates in which track you will begin. You will most likely be separated from your friends. A deep voice coming from the sky will tell you when you should join the starting point of your track and enter the multiple rooms of Helsingør castle.
For the next two hours, you will live in the thick of Shakespeare’s tragedy. The audience has free agency to roam around the rooms and follow — or not — the characters. The play is really well adapted for an immersive staging, everyone is able to follow the complete story, even with different starting points. Hamlet’s text being known for its length and density, and we can see here a real work of synthesization and text architecture.
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The costumes seem to be from an unknown time, stuck between 19th century and now. The set design is minimalist, with large rooms, just the essential furniture and props, all in a dim light that calls introspection. All these details tend to make the story universal and relatable to the audience.
Ten actors embody the main characters of the play, and sometimes interact with the audience for beautiful moments of intimacy. There’s usually around 100 persons per show, and you can find yourself surrounded by all the court at some point, and then be completely alone in another room. You are also invited to look for clues to a deeper secret in the story…
Helsingør is two hours and a half of intense emotions, with the pleasure to (re)live this essential text so vividly. It is great for all ages, the play being so flexible on the track you choose.
It is definitely a brilliant immersive adaptation, with very talented actors and a unique location!
Helsingør continues in Paris through October 28. Tickets are 18–37 Euros. Note: the play is in French only. The performance is accessible to wheelchairs, and all ages are welcome above 2 years old.
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