The 360-degree immersive series 'in the dark' returned to London for a residency at St Andrew’s Church, Holborn. Originating in Cambridge in 2017 under founder Andrea Cockerton, the concept was born from a desire to strip away the visual distractions of modern performance. Following a successful 2024 launch that secured an Offies award, the production now employs a 30-strong ensemble recruited from the West End and leading conservatoires.
The 60-minute performance is strictly acoustic and 95% unamplified. Audience members are issued sleep masks to ensure total sensory deprivation, while musicians navigate the space without a conductor or sheet music. The repertoire relies on precise spatial choreography, with sound moving dynamically around the seated areas. The ensemble utilises the natural reverb of the church to deliver a program defined by its proximity.
The lights went down and with the streets of London still casting their light through the church windows, the MC, Andrea Cockerton, invited the audience to put on their eye masks and get ready to experience the performance in complete darkness. The music began quietly. At first, it took some time to settle into the space, with the distractions of the day still buzzing in the head. After a few minutes, a sense of focus and calm emerged, allowing attention to shift fully to the sound. Thankfully, the audience - including a dog - behaved themselves, remaining still and silent throughout, which was essential to the success of the event.
Although there was expectation that the programme would feature newly composed music, the opening piece was recognisable as one from the Sigur Rós repertoire. Perfectly interpreted with strings, vocals, and woodwind, it shifted and flowed as the musicians moved around the space. Sometimes sound came straight at the listener, at other times from a far corner of the church, in front or behind—creating a strong sense of spatial depth.
The programme also included adaptations of other well-known pieces, including music by composer Garth Stevenson. With over 30 musicians and singers involved, the performance was carefully balanced, with harmonised vocals and instrumental textures handled with sensitivity. The setting contributed in unexpected ways; the low rumble of the Underground passing beneath the church was occasionally audible and added to the atmosphere. The performance reached its peak with another Sigur Rós piece, building gradually to a sustained and powerful climax.
After the final piece ended, there was an extended moment of silence before our MC signalled the conclusion. As the lights returned, the scale of the ensemble became clear: so many musicians and singers standing close by, instruments in hand. Not seeing the performers until the end certainly contributed to the magic.
The evening served as a testament to Andrea Cockerton’s original 2017 vision. To orchestrate thirty professionals in absolute darkness, moving in unamplified 360-degree formations without the safety net of a conductor, is a significant technical feat. By successfully transitioning this concept from a local experiment into an award-winning London residency, Cockerton has realised a rare ambition: proving that in an age of digital overstimulation, the most profound "spectacle" is often the one we cannot see at all.
With more performances in the coming days you can book
here.
