Theatre / Bristol old vic
Review: Touching the Void, Bristol Old Vic
Touching the Void has been described by many as immersive.
If “immersive” means “feeling like you’ve been torn out your seat and are now on the side of an icy mountain”, then, yes, Touching the Void is certainly immersive.
Telling the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’ climb and descent of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes, it’s two and a half hours of nail biting, beads of sweat rolling down cheeks and chills.
Based on the memoir of the same name, and returning to the Bristol Old Vic following a sold-out world premiere in Bristol and critically acclaimed West End run, Touching the Void takes you from your theatre seat/sofa (the show was both available to watch in the theatre and via livestream) and into the life of Joe, Simon and their companions.
Opening with Joe’s sister, Sarah, asking for questions. Joe and Simon’s friend, Richard, takes her through their trip.
Richard tells how they came to be perched on an unstable snow cliff and battered by freezing winds. Why Simon trying to rescue an injured Joe, who hangs from a rope below him. Explains that Joe teetered on the brink of death above a crevasse from which he wouldn’t be able to climb out of.
Josh Williams gives a breathtaking performance as Joe, and Angus Yellowlees conveys the moral conundrums Simon has to face beautifully.
As the stage flits between the two climbers and Richard and Sarah, it’s a chance to take note of the incredible set design, the carefully-composed music and the stellar acting from Patrick McNamee (Richard) and Fiona Hampton (Sarah).
Patrick McNamee and Fiona Hampton as Richard and Sarah. Photo: Michael Wharley
Despite being in a sitting room a mile away from the theatre, the livestream was so excellent that it felt as if the stage was right there – not inside a TV.
An amazing testament to human bravery, and to the skilled theatremakers who made the show happen, Touching the Void is a theatre experience like no other.
Prepare to be awestruck.
Touching the Void runs from May 26-29 at the Bristol Old Vic.
Main photo: Michael Wharley
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