SET in the beautiful grounds of Longleat, the interactive and immersive Company of Wolves theatre performance was delightfully surreal and completely off-the-wall.

With the choice to be a runner or a walker (hunter or gatherer) when signing up, we were split into the two groups on arrival at the wedding of the bride. But it soon transpired there was no bride – she had disappeared and it was our mission to find her.

Setting off on the path, with grave warnings on what might happen were we to leave it, we set off to uncover the truth: the hunters embarked on their five-mile run while the gatherers began their 2.5-mile walk with different experiences en route ranging from talking shrubbery to chats with the priest, Red Riding Hood and a gigantic red-eyed wolf on bouncy stilts.

As it grew dark, we were all reunited at Heaven’s Gate overlooking the stately home and were given a cup of hot chocolate as we swapped stories on our adventures before heading off into the black night for the second half.

We came across a wild child brought up by wolves, herbs with magic qualities and our fears of the Duke became realised when he was revealed to be a wolf himself and ensnared many of the hunters into his wolf pack. They came howling around the walkers as we returned to the village and it ended with a showdown in a circle of fire.

Longleat was the perfect setting for such a tale, based on the stories by Angela Carter, and the actors were superb – wild, scary, and quite barmy. The special effects were also impressive and I hope Burn the Curtain who produced the show will be back at next year’s festival.

There was just one missing element – give the participants a ‘whodunnit’ challenge, perhaps allowing collaboration within the groups as the story unfolds and then the chance to reveal their answer at the end.

Elizabeth Kemble