Simon Ward reviews 1884 at Shoreditch Town Hall

Set in the imposing surroundings of the Shoreditch Town Hall council chamber, this is no ordinary evening in the theatre. It is immersive and game-based. Unlike many other immersive theatre shows, however, the play does not take place around the audience. In many ways the audience actively makes this play, and it will be a different experience from performance to performance based on the audience response. Regular readers will know that I have an, at best, ambivalent relationship towards audience participation, and it would be fair to say that I approached this show with a fair amount of dread. But my expectations were utterly upended, and by the end I realised that I had not had such a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking night at the theatre for a very long time. I emerged into the maelstrom of Old Street on a Friday night feeling energised and uplifted.

The title is taken from a Conference convened by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck which ran in Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin from November 1884 until February 1885. While historians disagree about the significance of the event, by the end of it, European powers had carved up most of the continent of Africa among themselves. This, of course, without reference to the wishes of the African people affected. In the play, we, the audience, are the people of Wilhem Street – minding our own business, building our lives and community – while a meeting which will have a significant, possibly devastating, effect on us is going on far away, and without our input.

There is no doubt that the play wears its anti-colonial heart on its sleeve. However, it is never didactic or heavy-handed. With a series of group activities, it brilliantly manages to build up a sense of belonging and solidarity among audience members who, after all, have only just met. It is great fun, as the atmosphere is really relaxed and non-judgmental. But stress levels begin to rise as the decisions and demands emanating from the meeting start to dismantle everything that has just been built.

Presented by Coney and Rhianna Ilube, this is an all-consuming game – most of all it is very enjoyable but it also cleverly engages the audience and raises serious issues. The performers – Jyuddah Jaymes, Ewa Dina and Chusi Amoros – admirably manage to juggle different acting roles as well as the compering and crowd control skills required to keep the audience focused and on task. If it can win over a confirmed participation-phobe like me, it can win over anyone. It deserves to be a huge hit.

1884 runs at Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT until Saturday 27th April