An Experience Like No Other

The Encounter stars only one man, creator and director Simon McBurney, alone on a darkly lit stage, yet it is one of the most startling and original theater experiences of recent years. Debuting to rapturous reviews at last year's Edinburgh Festival, The Encounter takes you on an extraordinary trip into the wilds of the Amazon, sucking you into the action through masterful storytelling and incredible sound design.

See With your Ears

The key to the magic of The Encounter is its employment of binaural sound technology. Each audience member is given a special set of headphones, through which you hear a complex collage of pre-recorded sounds, and live sounds created up on stage by Simon McBurney. Everything from the rush of a river to dry twigs snapping underfoot is conjured up in your ears, placing you right at McBurney's side as he ventures further into the jungle.

What is The Encounter About?

The basis of the show is Petru Popesu's book Amazon Beaming, which recounts the 1969 expedition of National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre into the Brazilian rainforest. McIntyre's aim was to photograph the Mayoruna tribe, but when he became lost and couldn't find his way back to his plane, he ended up living with them.

McBurney takes on the role of McIntyre, but also shares his own experiences of making the show, alongside musings from scientists about human communication and the nature of time. Blending all of these elements together into a kind of aural soup that will swallow you whole, The Eclipsed dissolves boundaries of time and space, and takes you on a journey you'll never forget.