Reviewed by CHESTER MIGGELS
16 February 2026
Paper + Roses is a brand new immersive experience running at The Outlore Base. It is a striking example of just how far the medium can stretch beyond traditional storytelling.
Written by Kimberley Buckle and directed by Bianca Rassmussen, this dystopian jukebox musical drops audiences into the fractured nation of The Provenance, a world where books are banned, media is silenced, and rebellion simmers beneath the surface of a tightly controlled society divided between two opposing factions: The Mint and The Torn.
Reimagining the familiar bones of Beauty and the Beast through a gritty, futuristic lens, the production replaces passive spectatorship with participation. Choices begin before the show even starts (Mint or Torn?), subtly aligning you with the ideological tensions that drive the narrative forward.
One of the production’s undeniable strengths lies in its movement work. The choreography by Nkosinathi Maswai is superb. It is easily the most entertaining and consistently gripping element of the show. In a format where attention is constantly split between multiple unfolding scenes, the physical storytelling becomes a powerful anchor. Dance is used not merely as spectacle, but as an extension of narrative tension and emotional stakes. The lead cast, Saskia Bormans, Thulani Nzonzo, Azande Dube and Rendani Mufumadi carry the show’s narration and vocal demands with confidence, delivering singing performances that are polished and emotionally resonant. They are complimented by an energetic and committed ensemble and dance corps, including Claudia House, Lee Miller, Jayden Ockhuis, Lathi Mgwebu, Tara Singh and Kate Wallace.
The use of iconic 90s music as a narrative device is both nostalgic and surprisingly effective. Rather than feeling like a gimmick, the jukebox format often amplifies emotional beats, transforming familiar tracks into anthems of resistance, longing, and quiet revolution. The cast move seamlessly through the performance environment, making each encounter feel intensely personal.
However, the immersive format is not without its drawbacks. At times, the non-linear structure can feel disorienting, particularly for audience members who may miss key narrative moments unfolding simultaneously in different parts of the space. While this fragmentation is arguably part of the design, it can occasionally come at the expense of emotional clarity, leaving some character arcs feeling underdeveloped.
There were also a few technical challenges that impacted the storytelling. Instrumental backtracks were, at times, mixed too loudly and microphone clarity occasionally faltered. This proved particularly significant for jukebox music where many of the adapted lyrics carry crucial narrative information. Because the songs have been rewritten to include character background and developmental exposition, moments of imbalance in sound design sometimes resulted in key details being missed or lost entirely, weakening the intended emotional or narrative payoff of certain scenes.
Similarly, the ambitious integration of popular hits into a dystopian framework doesn’t always land evenly. Some song choices feel organically woven into the world-building, while others momentarily pull you out of the narrative, reminding you of the theatrical device rather than deepening the story.
The compact layout becomes both a strength and a limitation. Its close quarters heighten the sense of surveillance and unease that defines this dystopian world, but can also lead to moments of congestion where sightlines are compromised, an unavoidable tension in immersive staging, yet one that occasionally interrupts the flow of the experience.
Ultimately, Paper + Roses succeeds not only as a musical, but as an experience. It’s immersive theatre that trusts its audience to lean in, make choices, and live with what they discover, even if that sometimes means embracing confusion alongside discovery. In a city brimming with traditional stage offerings, this production feels refreshingly immediate, raw, participatory, and unapologetically unconventional.