EDINBURGH 2014 - BWW Reviews: THE GENERATION OF Z, Assembly George Square Theatre, August 4 2014

Ever imagined yourself in a zombie movie? Now's your chance to play it out for real. The Generation of Z is a fantastic immersive and interactive show, set after a zombie apocalypse in a base where survivors like yourself have gathered. Your guides through the experience are a small band of soldiers trying to protect you from the rampaging hordes outside.

It's a piece of promenade theatre, taking place in an outdoor container yard, dimly lit underground car park, various tight corridors with blood spatters and rooms where survivors have been holed up for weeks. I absolutely loved the design of the show with everything carefully calculated to draw you further into the marvellously immersive experience. Fantastically intricate sets are all the more impressive when you are only in each location for a short length of time and New Zealand based company Royale Productions must be commended for their attention to detail.

It's not just a feast for the eyes, but a full sensory experience with the smell of explosions, walls being pounded on and demands that you help barricade yourself into a safe zone. You'll have guns pointed at you and be chased by the living dead. The transitions between locations are well-handled, with the performers keeping you rooted in the experience at all times. Woe betide anyone who tries to mess around with an angry sergeant in the vicinity! Exposition is incorporated in as natural a way as possible. A terrorist subplot was a bit underdeveloped, but that's a minor criticism of an otherwise great production.

With a show of this nature, it's good to go prepared for the apocalypse. There are a couple of bits of light running, so trainers and comfortable clothing are recommended, and avoid being laden down with bags. It's a very intense experience, with real (blank) gunfire, explosions and sudden scares, so perhaps not for those of a nervous disposition. If you can handle it however, The Generation of Z will give you an absolutely unforgettable Fringe experience.

The Generation of Z runs in the Container Yard at Assembly George Square Theatre at 9pm until August 25th.

To post a comment, you must register and login.