En Route at Norfolk and Norwich Festival Review

Written by Eleanor B for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own

En Route is a walking tour around Norwich, experienced alone but guided through a series of audio clips and text messages sent directly to your phone.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I started. You are only given the starting point, told it should take around an hour and a half, and reminded to make sure your phone is fully charged. From there, you are completely on your own.

I will not give away the route, but it is a fantastic way to experience the city differently. The journey takes you through side streets, alleyways and even the stairwell of a car park, encouraging you to notice parts of Norwich you might normally rush past. Even in the more open sections, the experience prompts you to slow down, look around and properly take in your surroundings.

I would like to think I know Norwich fairly well, but it was nice to move through the city without feeling rushed. It gave me the chance to properly look at the architecture, people watch, and notice places that had clearly been hiding in plain sight.

The audio itself is a mixture of directions, reflections, quotes and music, much of which comes from local artists. I really liked that touch, especially knowing the soundtrack changes depending on the city hosting En Route. It makes the experience feel far more connected to the place you are walking through, rather than something that could simply be dropped anywhere.

I did run into a couple of technical difficulties during my walk. Norwich was especially busy, likely because of both the sunny weather and the opening weekend of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, which affected my signal slightly. Thankfully, a lovely member of the En Route team was quietly following along to help if needed, always appearing at exactly the right moments without disrupting the experience. Honestly, it was quite reassuring knowing someone was nearby if I got lost or needed help.

Created by Suzanne Kersten, Clair Korobacz, Paul Moir and Julian Rickert, with Richard Jordan as Creative Producer & Dramaturgy and Nirlek Dhulla as Associate Artist & Production Manager, En Route is a really intriguing concept and a genuinely lovely way to reconnect with a city.

I would absolutely recommend trying it, whether in Norwich or another city in the future. It is thoughtful, immersive and a refreshing reminder of how much we miss when we are usually rushing from place to place.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★