“On the face of it, the production is classic Punchdrunk – lavish sets, moody lighting and a spooky feel – but this production is quite different. First, it was only open to schoolchildren from the Haringey area. Second, it’s deceptively high-tech. . . . The production starts in the classroom with a simple video game, developed by Punchdrunk’s in-house designer. Then the children are invited to continue their quest in the real world, at which point the pixels comes to life in the vast, movie-set world of Fallow Cross. It’s like stepping into Tim Burton’s Wendy house. ‘It’s a video game that goes live. You become your own avatar in the real world as well as the digital space,’ Barrett says.

“It’s a remarkable set design, though the real innovation is happening out of sight. While exploring Fallow Cross, children carry what looks like a lantern but is in fact a positional tracking device. Working in partnership with Google, Punchdrunk has rigged the whole space with sensors that track the lanterns with pinpoint accuracy. As groups learn new skills and level up, they unlock new areas in the physical world, with the lamp opening a series of locked doors. ‘If they are a level three player they can’t get in, if they are a level four the door is open,’ Barrett says, enthusiastically rattling a locked door for emphasis.”