Dance Magic Dance: The Wedding Reception

The air smells of the '80s. The colour palette is a pastel purple and shoulder-pads are the height of fashion. The bridal party is nervously starting to dance and the wedding reception is set to be a grand old time. There's only one thing missing: the bride and groom. But they'll be here, they'll be here soon.

This is the setup for The Boon Companions' immersive performance project, Dance Magic Dance: The Wedding Reception. It's ambitious and bold and puts a major onus on the audience to enjoy themselves by indulging in different parts of the set-up. There's an old-timey caravan with tarot readings inside, a room for tantric meditation, a wall the audience contributes to of what they remember happening on the buck's night. The main event, though, is the bar and the music. With both a DJ and a big band the dancefloor is constantly awash with golden oldies.

Immersive pieces are always difficult to execute well. The role of the actors is changed from articles of entertainment to facilitators of the audience. There is a subtle chord between authenticity and anachronistic fun that needs be struck. The piece could have been more engaging for a greater number of the audience and the tantric meditation room lacked any authenticity that would have made it a more enjoyable ride — there's fun to be had in misguided sincerity far more than in a speech built on one-line zingers.

This being said, the aesthetic was designed masterfully, and the music had gusto and made the audience want to jive all night. The narrative was ancillary and there is definitely room to grow their craft, but all in all the Boon Companions presented a unique, tantalising experience. Long live the '80s.