The 60-minute 360° sound experience ‘In the Dark’ has returned to London, with dates in St. Andrew, Holborn, and St. Giles Cripplegate in late January. Rosie Riot discovers the magic of this immersive musical delight.
Arriving at the impressive St Andrews Church, Holborn, I was privileged to receive a special pre-show reception, where we could see, in pre-darkness, how ‘In the Dark’ worked. After finding our seats, topped with branded eye masks, founder Andrea Cockerton also treated us to an introduction to the story behind the phenomenon.
Starting in Cambridge in 2017, with some years of development, the project hit London in 2024, with the immersive experience appearing at unique venues such as Greenwich’s Cutty Sark, to rave reviews. Andrea’s passion for ‘In the Dark’ shines through as she speaks, her enthusiasm only piquing the audience’s intrigue before the main event begins.
In Andrea’s own words: “In a world obsessed with being seen, we’re asking people to disappear for an hour. In the dark is a quiet, sound, rebellion. No phones, no spectacle, no distractions… just the rare chance to actually feel music again.”
As the name suggests, ‘In the Dark’ is an experience shaped by sensory deprivation. With audience members required to wear sleep masks, their other senses are attuned, allowing them to enjoy the choreographed 360° journey of live musicianship circulating around the audience on a completely different level.
Much like ‘Dans Le Noir’, the restaurant experience where customers taste a menu in darkness, ‘In the Dark’ also uses a backdrop of darkness, which sharpens the way we listen (rather than our taste buds). ‘In the Dark’ sees audiences starting to attune to the intricacies of around 30 musicians performing. The common thinking of both experiences is that a staggering 80% of our sensory perception is processed through sight. So, without the information we gain through this, our brains find it hard to reorganise themselves to adapt to the lack of visual input, and can confuse or inhibit our senses.
But paradoxically, over time, this deprivation can also cause other senses to compensate, attune, and localise. And this is very much the case with hearing and sound – a sort of ‘resource reallocation’. Something that artists Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles were all too adept at.
So, with the science covered, the time had arrived. The church lights had dimmed, and eye masks were positioned. The sense of excitement in the air was palpable.
Hearing the first vocals in the acoustics of St Andrews Church held a clarity and profound resonance, whilst the stirring sounds from the orchestra ebbed and flowed around the room. The soaring of a violin here, the plucking of a bass string there, all undulating around the audience as the musicians meandered around the church (unbeknownst to us).
The style of the music was a mix of modern classical and folk, with some inflections from other genres. Some songs painted vivid pictures of the elements, the sea, and the seasons. The intermittent swelling of an instrumental crescendo was rousing, peppered with moments of quiet, all interspersed with vocal compositions and re-works of undiscovered songs.
It all creates a breathtaking hour of exquisitely crafted showmanship. You may hear the odd addition of the sound of seagulls, or other atmospheric effects. But for the most part, the sound is pure, unamplified live sound from instruments and vocals.
When the signal to take off our eye masks was given and the lights were on, bleary-eyed, we clapped to a beaming group of accomplished musicians and singers.
Words by Rosie Riot. Photos by Ian Olsson. For more information on In The Dark, and details on how to book tickets for upcoming shows, visit www.in-the-dark.com.
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