OUT OF THIS WORLD

Henry Roberts, in search of an alternative side to Budapest, visited a giant circus and dance show on the city's outskirts

- Henry Roberts

I was sure I was in the wrong spot. Ridiculously underdressed for a Hungarian winter evening, I rechecked my phone as I searched for the entrance to Walk My World, an immersive circus and dance show based on Virgil’s Aeneid. I was looking forward to an evening of gods and monsters. But all I could see was the entrance to a multistorey car park.

Budapest is a popular weekend break destination for British holidaymakers. Most come to soak up the thermal baths and marvel at the architecture, as well as drink cheap beer in the city's famous ruin bars. But among these well-trodden excursions, there are plenty of cultural activities tourists can enjoy, too: museums dedicated to centuries of history, modern art galleries, and, as I was about to find out, thrilling live performances.

After a few panicked messages, someone from the team found us. I was taken up a flight of stairs into the mythical world.

Founded by Recirquel, a contemporary circus company, Walk My World allows audience members to walk around freely, following characters and storylines as they choose. They say theatre is different every night, but audiences of Walk My World can literally see two different shows on two consecutive nights. Billed as Europe's largest immersive attraction, I was excited to see how it would transform my city break into something entirely different.