Walk My World: Reimagining the Performance Experience in Budapest
zita kisgergely
Touted as the biggest immersive performance in Europe, Walk My World impresses with its blend of theatre, dance and acrobatics. But don’t go into this show thinking you can just sit back and relax.
What is Walk My World?
Ticket holders don’t simply turn up to watch Walk My World from the comfort of a seat in an auditorium, separated from the action on stage. Attending one of these shows is an immersive experience. Sharing the entire set-like landscape (which stretches across two levels and a whopping 6,000 square metres) with the performers themselves, audience members are guaranteed to exceed their step-count goals for the day. At times, they’ll even find themselves within arm’s reach of some of the performers.
Two Rules to Follow
Before crossing the threshold into this world, the audience must abide by two strict rules. Mobile phones have to be tucked away in a snug holder provided by the organizers. To ensure compliance, these holders are locked for the duration of the show. Secondly, patrons must wear the black mask they receive at the entrance on their face at all times. This aids the full-sensory immersion into the mysterious realm they’re about to enter. As the Walk My World website explains–
“By putting on the black mask, you step into a new role: from spectator, you become an observer, a traveller in a mythical world. Let this gesture separate you from outside reality…”
Photo credit: Hirling Bálint
Masked up and without a phone in sight, the audience meanders through low-light, labyrinth-like walkways which lead to performance areas. The various acts range across mime, dance, and acrobatics, performed by over thirty artists from Hungary and around the world. The atmosphere of the physical set is overwhelmingly dystopian with hints of steampunk. No detail has been spared–it feels like walking through a museum inspired by the Blade Runner films with live acts at every turn.
How to Experience Walk My World
The experience can be a little disorientating at first, especially if (like me) you quickly lose the people you arrived with. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend experiencing the performance alone. Walking around the massive stage area, discovering the nooks, crannies and secret rooms of this strange world, stumbling across the various contemporary circus acts mid-performance without the distraction of small talk or phones, sets the mind in a peculiar state of “flow” or intense mindfulness.
Photo credit: Hirling Bálint
This is a world filled with gods, mortals and strange creatures from mythology enacting stories of intrigue, deceit and love. To find a way into a narrative, the organizers suggest choosing a performer or character that speaks to you in some way, then following them for the duration of the performance (which roughly takes over two hours).
One of the performed stories is based on the tragic love story of Aeneas and Dido (from the ancient Roman poet Virgil). But that’s just one of the many parallel storylines that unfold simultaneously, some of which also take their cues from characters based on classical mythology. Apart from the jaw-dropping acrobatics, there are also a few singing performances that contribute to the hauntingly moody atmosphere.
Founder and Artistic Director, Bence Vági
Bence Vági hails from a background in contemporary and classical dance where he was trained in directing and choreography. Together with his creative team, Vági set about on a creative journey back in 2012 which evolved into performances that embrace cirque danse, a genre that fuses circus and dance.
Walk My World is certainly redefining what theatrical experience can mean to today’s audiences.
Tickets are available at the following website:
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