Have you experienced immersive theatre? If not, it’s understandable—immersive theatre is rare in Vancouver, and for good reason. There are many challenges involved in presenting it, including the need for a suitable venue. Fortunately, Dreamqueen Collective—under the helm of Fairlith Harvey—offers Vancouver audiences a chance to dive into this unique entertainment with The Last Resort. In true immersive fashion, the audience is placed right in the action as the story unfolds around them.
Set in 1971, audience members play the role of cruise ship passengers whose vessel has drifted into the Bermuda Triangle, resulting in the death of everyone onboard. Now, they find themselves as guests in a hotel called The Last Resort, a kind of afterlife setting. Actors portray the hotel’s staff and existing guests, and audience members are free to explore the hotel, observe interactions, and engage with characters when invited. Each actor has a unique storyline and relationships with the other characters, conveyed through both dialogue and dance. Much like Sleep No More in New York, which reimagines Macbeth within the immersive environment of The McKittrick Hotel, The Last Resort invites the audience to follow characters and scenes as they wish.
This experience has a dark, twisted vibe reminiscent of the song “Hotel California”—and fittingly, that song plays in the Hereafter Bar, an upstairs lounge where audiences gather before descending to the main action. The show’s venue, At The Waldorf, is a perfect choice. Guests enter through the Tiki Bar, a space evocative of the era and setting with its palm tree décor, neon lights, black leather couches, and a retro stereo system complete with an ample record collection.
Barbara Guertin as The Fool. Photo credit: Chelsey Stuyt Photography.
The Hereafter Bar’s host, Mr. Temperance (Casey Por), escorts audience members downstairs in small groups, outlining the rules before setting them free to explore. These guidelines are simple: don’t open doors or curtains, don’t speak to our touch actors unless invited, and stay out of the spotlight (i.e. going onstage in the Limbo Lounge). After that, it’s essentially a “choose-your-own-adventure” experience as audiences members wander the space at their own pace.
There are two primary areas to explore—the Limbo Lounge, where you can watch dance performances; and a lounge with mirrored walls, couches, and a bar, which also offers glimpses into a backstage area. Here, audiences will spot the show’s two main dancers, First Lover (Fiona Jenkins) and Second Lover (Cleo Halls), warming up before the show officially begins.
During the pre-show, the cast roams the space, each character performing individual activities. Characters have intriguing names, such as The Devil (Mina Delic), The Fool (Barbara Guertin), The Hermit (Talía Bordallo Micó), and The Star (Claire Davis). One of the most engaging performers is Nicola Whitney-Griffiths as Judgement, who interacts with guests, asking them how they’re adjusting (to the afterlife, which is implied). In a nook between the two main rooms, The Hanged Man (Andrew Wade) wakes up on a bed and migrates to a desk with a typewriter, where he begins furiously typing. The story here is that his character is unaware that he’s passed away and is feverishly working to meet a book deadline.
On the media/preview night, the pre-show section felt a bit prolonged, with some actors running out of activities and having to repeat actions. Hopefully as things get fine-tuned, this can get finessed. At one point, one of the actors teaches guests the dance, “The Hustle”. As anyone who has ever taken a dance class knows, a dance teacher always instructs facing away from the dancers. This way, even if there’s no mirror, it’s clear which direction to turn in and which arms and legs to move, etc. In this case, the actor taught the dance facing the audience, causing mass confusion as to whether to mirror him or do the opposite. Hopefully this can be adjusted in future performances.
Cleo Halls as The Second Lover. Photo credit: Chelsey Stuyt Photography.
Once the main action begins, things get interesting and some of the characters reveal compelling storylines. For example, Guertin’s portrayal of The Fool, a spoiled playboy, begins with them examining themself in different mirrors. We get to see their journey as they adjust to the afterlife, including a fun flirtatious bit with the First and Second Lovers, amid torturous moments of realization that they’ll never leave this place.
Jenkins and Halls are standout performers, dancing up a storm and delivering excellent characterization throughout the evening. They’re both fantastic dancers and actors, and they showcase their dance versatility in styles such as jazz, contemporary, and even tap. Through dance, they’re able to express the nuances of their relationship, including a powerful contemporary duet where Halls showcases her fabulous flexibility and acrobatic talent.
For me, the highlight of the show is a dance solo by Halls set to “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys. Her unrestrained, expressive dancing is mesmerizing, conveying an incredible range of emotion and character depth. This is storytelling at its finest. Halls’ performance throughout the entire show is a true tour de force. Bravo!
There’s a ton of other great choreography to enjoy during the show. Jenkins and Halls choreographed much of their own material, with additional pieces by Rachel Kent, Shara Turner, Ashleigh Kearns, Daniel Dresser, and Whitney-Griffiths. In fact, Whitney-Griffiths also delivers some memorable dance moments, including a humorous routine with scuba gear!
The Last Resort is a unique and entertaining experience, with some great talent on display. Upon arrival, guests receive a lei. They can choose between a coloured lei if they’re open to actor interaction, or else white if they prefer to observe without engagement. There’s no obligation to interact, and no photos or videos are allowed during the performance, encouraging audiences to stay present and fully immersed in this rare opportunity to escape into another world.
The Last Resort, presented by Dreamqueen Collective, runs until November 24. Visit the event site for ticket information.