Bursting out of the theatre and into the warehouse, Four To The Floor takes its audience on a journey through the history of house music and the evolution of the counterculture movement it inspired.
Taking place in Liverpool’s dockland-situated Invisible Wind Factory, which itself has housed many a DJ-infused all-nighter, this is an immersive experience that looks to blur the lines between music, theatre and, yes, an actual rave.
If any of that sends unappealing shivers down your spine then this may not be the show for you.
Taking place across multiple rooms and hidden nooks of the labyrinthine venue, we witness fragments of dance music’s storied past and the lives of those who embraced it.
From the pre-drinks before a big night out to dodgy drug-infused dance moves, the audience go from flies on the wall to active participants as you’re encouraged to drink, dance and party the night away with the large cast of energetic young performers.
Directors Matt Rutter and Chris Tomlinson have set their sights on offering people a unique theatrical experience and for the most part they succeed, with this being a memorable debut show for the newly formed Turntable Theatre company.
Aided by Sophia Alexiadou’s breakneck lighting design, it’s impossible not to feel like you’ve been thrust into a scene ripped straight from 90’s cult film Human Traffic.
Where Four To The Floor suffers though, is with its deliberately meandering structure, which allows for a vital informality but denies its audience a strong narrative to bring all the vignettes together.
Thank goodness then, for former Brookside star Eithne Browne, whose nameless guardian angel-cum-dinner lady arrives to bring depth and meaning to it all with a genuinely moving monologue that lands with all the power of the biggest bass drop to remind us all of the great nights we've had and the ones yet to come.
This is not a show for everyone. Anyone longing for the comforts of a pre-booked seat and interval ice cream will be well out of their comfort zone, but like the very best parties, once you relax into the vibe, you hope it never ends.
Grab a drink, the weekend has landed.
