A Midnight Visit to deliver 36-room fantasy world in converted Fortitude valley warehouse

A Fortitude Valley warehouse is being converted into a crazy and sometimes sexy multi-room fantasy world that is sure to capture the imaginations of anyone bold enough to visit. See what’s in store.

A scenes from A Midnight Visit immersive theatre.

A warehouse in Fortitude Valley will become a crazy and sometimes sexy fantasy world with a new immersive theatre experience opening in Brisbane next month.

Tickets are now on sale for A Midnight Visit, inspired by the work of American writer Edgar Allen Poe, master of the macabre. The show is setting up in Robertson Street in Fortitude Valley over the coming weeks in a venue dubbed The House of Usher (after a story by Poe). It will run for a month from July 27 and will feature a 36-room theatrical playground. Director and co-creator, Kirsten Siddle, whose company Broad Encounters is presenting the work, is a former associate director of programming at QPAC. She says the show will be “a huge epic that is not like any other theatre experience”.

“It’s a show that uses all the senses,” she says. “It’s a little bit scary at times. It’s also funny, a bit sexy, whimsical and there’s a bit of romance too.”

A scenes from A Midnight Visit immersive theatre.

The show will feature eight roaming performers who will interact with the audience as it moves through the space over the course of an hour.

“Depending where you turn you will see different things,” Siddle says. “We’ve created a fully formed fantasy world set inside one of Poe’s dreams but you don‘t need to know anything about him to enjoy the show.”

Cast in Red Ballroom in a scene from A Midnight Visit. Photo: Tim Da-Rin

Before the pandemic hit A Midnight Visit played in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth but its visit to Brisbane was held up. But now it’s all go with stunningly detailed sets developed by a team of designers, scenic artists, prop makers and master builders.

Creative producer Kirsten Siddle with performer Kristian Santic from zany new immersive theatre show A Midnight Visit by Broad Encounters. Pics Adam Head

Costumes are by theatre designer Melanie Liertz and a team of 100 creatives were assembled by Siddle to work on the show which will run several times a day at The House of Usher, 35 Robertson Street, Fortitude Valley.

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