Hour of the Wolf

After a well-received run with Because the Night back in 2021, Malthouse Theatre is dipping its toes back into immersive theatre again with the much-anticipated Hour of the Wolf.

Set in the fictional town of Hope Hill, audiences follow multiple characters from the cursed hour of 3am. Witching hour, you might say. It is the night that the town dreads, the night of the Wolf – an entity that rolls around annually to claim her offerings. Some of the town folk are sceptical, some are indifferent, and some will go to their graves relieved to be out of her clutches.

Guided by a headset, audiences walk into a scene and watch on as two to three characters play out their conflicts, and at the end of each one are asked to follow one character to see where the story takes them next. Scene by scene, things start to fall into place, and the Wolf’s influence over the town becomes more and more sinister. More choose-your-own-adventure than immersive, Hour of the Wolf is an incredible feat of compelling performances, incredible set designs and is on a lot of counts, technically impressive. However, while what you experience is captivating, the show falls short in its time management, which ultimately hangs a cloud over its accomplishments.

I left Hour of the Wolf immensely impressed. However after some discussions with my friend who came with me, I realised I had missed quite a few important plot points. There were props that were critical to the story that I never saw, and there were one or two characters I didn’t see again after their initial introduction. Some plots were, for me, left unresolved. And while we are encouraged to explore the sets to find clues, this will ultimately be a setback in following the show’s story. I also believe that the production is endearing enough to warrant a second trip, but it shouldn’t be necessary in order to tie up loose ends.

Immersive theatre has been a growing trend for the past decade or so. With Punchdrunk in London spawning their internationally acclaimed show Sleep No More in New York in 2011, it’s a style of theatre that invites audiences to get down and dirty with its actors, and to give them an opportunity to really engross themselves in and amongst the sets. I was lucky enough to catch Sleep No More in NYC, and it was easily one of the most remarkable theatre experiences of my life. While of course local productions in Melbourne aren’t blessed with the same budgets, Because the Night was still able to pull off an impressive take on Hamlet in 2021. Unfortunately, Hour of the Wolf falls short of this standard. While I do recommend it for the experience and its showcase of Melbourne’s immensely talented actors, just bear in mind, not all your questions may be answered. But if you can afford the time, maybe squeeze in a second viewing before December 2nd.

Hour of the Wolf runs from 19 October – 3 December 2023 at the Malthouse Theatre.
Malthouse Theatre – 113 Sturt St, Southbank