Rating: ★★
Venue: Checkpoint at Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh
Welcome to NVRLND, where the party goes straight on till morning, featuring the biggest 2000s anthems: Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and more! Wendy's about to get married, but one night in NVRLND changes everything. Reuniting with Peter Pan, she's thrown back into a world of intoxicating fun and reckless adventure. But can youth really last forever? Or does growing up offer its own magic?
The most inaccessible experience at the Fringe.
Most reviews from this year's festival have been written from a neutral and unbiased perspective, however I did not have a neutral or equitable time at Assembly Checkpoint so this piece will be based on my perspective as a disabled person.
Firstly, it is the ONLY venue I visited this year with absolutely no wheelchair access. Many other places offered a ramp into the building and then steps to the auditorium, but you could at least get inside from street level. This information is not easily available or clear when it is provided. I was told I could leave my mobility aid in the foyer area while I use my walking stick to get up to the performance space, but they failed to mention that my carer would have to carry it up the steps at the front door first. It does not seem coincidental that this is a ‘club like’ environment either, as the nightlife scene is one disabled people are excluded from most often.
The show is also standing room only, with a few chairs available at the side which offer a COMPLETELY restricted view - you cannot see the performers at all regardless of where they are at the time (it is an immersive roaming production). As I was attending as Media, a one-off exception was made and I was able to watch from the gallery, however this is not an option for the general public.
The concept is fun, the performers are good, and other audiences are raving, but it is not a production designed with disabled visitors in mind.
You can book tickets to see Club NVRLND, here.
Review by Katie
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