Witness's Ritual to debut in London this February after successful New York run

Image: Witness

Next month, Witness will transfer their production of Ritual to London for a limited two-day run after a successful run in New York. Ritual is an odyssey in content and form, based on Aeschylus’s epic Greek tragedy, the Oresteia, it's an 8-hour-long installation anchored by a single performer. Ritual invites audiences to share the space on the 21st and 22nd of February at COLAB Tower in Central London.

Photo: Witness

Ritual invites audiences into the depths of the Mycenaean palace as Orestes lies in wait, attempting to get the gods to speak to him once again before he carries out his revenge. Throughout this day-long installation, the audience will be able to roam and explore around Orestes across two fully designed rooms over the course of this 8-hour performance at the COLAB Tower.

Presented by Witness, Ritual is a transfer from New York, where it debuted in the East Village in October 2021. This is the UK premiere of Witness’s work, and it has been supported by Arts Council England.

Photo: Arin Sang-Urai

Writer Michael Bontatibus stated:

We’re incredibly excited to take this ambitious production into London. Re-introducing this story to a new audience, and getting to tackle the mammoth task of an eight-hour show is incredibly invigorating.

Director Charlotte Murray added:

Ritual is a daring, massive undertaking, but we’re excited to take on the challenge, and are excited to invite audiences into the physical centre of the world we’ve created.

Photo: Arin Sang-Urai

The show's director, Charlotte Murray, is a director, deviser, and theatre maker. She is currently the Associate Director on Natalie Margolin's Off-Broadway play All Nighter, starring Kristine Froseth and Havana Rose Liu. Previous work with Witness includes directing Noirtown and Ritual; other directing credits include 12 Chairs at the O’Neill New Play Conference and Hartwell Church of God at Ars Nova.

Ritual has been written by Michael Bontatibus, who is the Artistic Director of Witness. Past credits with Witness as a writer and producer include The Island (Archway Hospital), Ritual (Village Works), Last Days of the Tsars (Stimson-Green Mansion), Noirtown (Rave Theater Festival), Found Footage (Colonels Row) and The Visitation (Wyckoff House). Other theatrical work has been staged with The Flea, Joust Theatre

Company, RADD Festival, Theatre Off Jackson Solo Performance Festival, and the Young Gotham Arts Series, among others.

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Ritual runs at COLAB Tower near London Bridge on the 21st and 22nd February 2026. Tickets are free and can be booked via witnessimmersive.com