Interview: 'Until It's In Front Of Somebody, You Think You're Insane!': Writer & Director Peter Broughton On Bringing The Immersive CREATURE To Life

After several sell-out runs, Creature is coming back to life at Colab Tower. The show, created by Peter Broughton, is an immersive adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with only one audience member for each performance. The solo audience member takes on the role of Victor Frankenstein, who has been captured by the Creature, being moved around the space in a wheelchair.

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Broughton about bringing Creature to life. We discussed how working Front of House brought them into the world of immersive theatre, their creative process for Creature and some advice they have for those getting into immersive theatre.

How did you first get started in the world of theatre, and then into immersive theatre specifically?

School happens, youth theatre happens. Then BTech college in theatre, drama school, and then uni, which I absolutely adored, because it taught me how to make theatre, not just be an actor. Immersive theatre was never something I really considered until I wanted to move to London, and there was a job going at Doctor Who: Time Fracture. Because I'm a big Doctor Who nerd, I jumped on the opportunity to come to work Front of House on these jobs.

Working Front of House in immersive, you just start to work with out-of-work performers who are there trying to network and meet people, and it's such a breeding ground for creativity, linking up, partnership and networking. I'm really grateful for that. And then, I started making stuff!

And what made you want to create Creature?

I came to realise that you didn't have to throw tonnes of money at immersive theatre to make something that is really amazing - it doesn't have to be pumped full of cash to be immersive. I saw more small-scale immersive stuff, and I realised this was something audiences really respond to. I saw smaller-scale immersive work and realised this was something audiences really respond to. I was also interested in one-on-one experiences at places like Punchdrunk, how people respond to being directly addressed, how intense and memorable that can be.

Working in immersive also meant getting to know audiences personally. Through projects like Bacchanalia, Paddington Lo-Commotion and Phantom Peak, I met audiences face to face, spoke with them after shows, and understood what they were drawn to. That is really where Creature came from, wanting to build something intimate, intense, and direct.

For those who are unfamiliar with Creature, can you tell us a bit about it?

It's an immersive piece for one audience member, which blends live puppetry, binaural sound design and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. You are Victor Frankenstein. You've been kidnapped, placed in a wheelchair, and the story of Frankenstein is retold to you from the Creature's perspective, leading you through the tale. It's very intense and frightening, but also emotional.

We've had lots of people from the immersive world see it. For example, we had Bertie [Watkins] from COLAB see it, and he was screaming the whole way around it, which I took as a good sign! There is not much immersive puppetry for adult audiences right now, and that is something I have really leaned into with Creature.

What made you want to go with the story of Frankenstein?

Female writer. British. Public domain. Overdone! I wanted to see if I could actually find something new in a story people think they already know. Frankenstein is the original sci-fi horror story, and it lends itself perfectly to puppetry. It is gothic, tragic, and deeply emotional, especially the Creature’s loneliness, which is heartbreaking. I have leaned into the gothic elements, but I am also interested in pushing further into the science-fiction side of it.

What was the creative process like for Creature?

I'll talk about the stuff that I do alone, and then the stuff I do with my crew, which are two very different things. The puppetry took months - building the Creature puppet, customising others, painting, testing, refining. The script was developed well in advance, and then I worked with Hanna Gardner in the recording booth to bring it to life. My process early on is quite instinctive, sitting, thinking, building, constantly adjusting. I am quite free-flowing as a creator.

With the team, it is much more collaborative and experimental, throw it at the wall and see what sticks. We are a neurodiverse, queer team, and that shapes how we work. It can be chaotic and constantly shifting, but that is where the work feels most alive. I am very lucky to be working with Eleana Sirret, who has been my second brain for over a year now, god help them.

Puck Wyse and Alice Thomas originally came in to help with Front of House, and we realised we were wasting their talents as a magician and physical performer respectively, so those skills have now become part of the show. We are also just really good friends. One rehearsal day in a boiling tunnel in central London, Jess Southwood turned up with a picnic, and we ended up at the Tate talking about the future of the piece. We are now thinking about how Creature could evolve further, and we are even discussing forming a company to continue developing immersive work beyond this show.

So what was it like to finally bring the show to audiences last year?

It was the best thing in the world, because until it's in front of somebody, you just think you're insane! Seeing people's responses and their faces has just been magical. You spend months building something and have no idea if it will land, and then suddenly someone is inside it, reacting in real time. I feel a huge amount of gratitude. Tickets are not cheap, and people are giving you their time, trust, and attention. That means a lot. Seeing people come out excited, emotional or completely shaken has been incredible.

What is it about immersive theatre that you think has so many people interested in it?

I came into immersive post-Covid, and I think everyone was just longing for interaction and connection in a shared physical experience. There is something powerful about being inside a story in 360 degrees - even if you’re passive, you’re still inside it. And I think immersive theatre makes people feel special. One-on-one moments especially give audiences something that feels like it belongs only to them. That is what I try to achieve with Creature.

What do you hope audiences take away from Creature?

That puppetry is not just for kids, and immersive theatre doesn't have to be in a giant venue to be powerful. More than anything, I want them to feel like they have been held accountable by the Creature, and that they have survived it. Then they can leave, go home, make a cup of tea and reflect.

And any advice for people for whom Creature might be their first immersive experience?

You're jumping out of a plane, and your parachute is there. Trust me, I am the parachute. It’s an intense first experience, but you're in safe hands. We’re all professionals and we are looking after you. Whatever friend brought you here cares about you and wants you to have a good time. Just try not to be too petrified by the man-made nightmare that is Creature.

And finally, how would you describe Creature in one word?

Monstrous!