When Night Comes
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Date Reviewed: 03/09/2025
In the dark of our foray into the unknown, our group, draped in robes, hobbled forward gingerly. The masked figure in the room ahead beckons us to their table, to an assortment of artifacts lit only by the dim glow of the lamp above.
He gestures towards an array of masks; we oblige. Adorning them, and leaving our past selves at the door. For those of us who came as participants to this clandestine gathering of the senses, this was our initiation. Our door to the arcane. Our introduction to When Night Comes.
Nestled unassumingly at The Rocks in the Union Bond Store, after the sun had set amongst the charmful sandstone, laid the warm invite to a night that promises an otherworldly experience. When Night Comes is gloriously and unashamedly what it sets out to be. An immersive, interactive theatre experience that asks the audience to relinquish their connections to the known world in favour of indulgence. If only for a short while.
In surrendering yourself to fantasy crafted with intention, the name of the game is, of course, immersiveness. How well you can allow their senses to fall under the illusions presented before you, and how much of the gaps are left for your mind to fill. It’s as much give as it is take here. As my friend and I sat awaiting our session to begin, unbeknownst of what’s to come, I resolved to immerse myself as much as I could in this wonderland. Going through it all, without spoiling much of what’s involved, I made a mental note of how much of the senses were engaged.
Sight? Check. Touch? Yup. Sound? Mhm. Smell? Definitely. Taste? Oh yeah.
Though adept at their implementation of sensory delights, I will say that I was left wishing the production was more ambitious in how it layered these to hide the seams of the whole thing. Though to their credit, the charm of Union Bond Store’s interior made for a wise and endearing choice of stage. A brilliant navigation of mise en scene that left us participants lost and unaware of the world we were guests to.
Highlighting the experience were the cast of the show. Sprightly and puckish performances of characters that you could pick out of Pan’s Labyrinth or a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, albeit raunchy. Involving, but not overbearing. And delightfully unafraid of taking the piss, leaving an atmosphere anyone would have a hard time faulting fun in. Though personally, I do enjoy my share of tension and intrigue. Bereft of a conventional narrative, When Night Comes is a journey without consequence. Characters engage with minimal overlap (save for the finale), in what feels like peering into various microcosms of a greater world, making us very much Alices in this Wonderland.
That being said, as an experience that involves cocktails throughout to help paint the senses, I was all too happy to let the drinks do the storytelling. Bright flavours and spicy notes were a welcome accoutrement to usher in visions of spring whilst bidding farewell to the fading chill of winter. Kudos to the bartender for dreaming up these cocktails. I only regret that I couldn’t try them all at the bar afterwards.
When Night Comes arrives as a part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, if you happen to be looking for something to add to your itinerary. If a brief night of lightly debaucherous, liberating fun sounds like something up your alley, When Night Comes awaits you as a portal to the obscure, an opportunity to leave your stresses at the door and depart lighter than you came. Carpe Diem, or as the actors say, Carpe Noctum. You won't regret it.