In Foul Play’s 2008 Fringe hit The Office Of Correspondence, audience members were invited to become typists in an interactive 1930s office theatre, taking apart “paper, protocol, procedure, bonuses and bungs”.

This year sees the innovative Brighton-based theatre company work their magic on the Marlborough pub and its accompanying little theatre. For three nights, the venue will become a Western-style saloon, The Star & Skull, with its punters taken on an existential journey through time and space.

“There are two brothers who own a bar and the bar gives away whisky, but when the whisky runs out, so does the bar and it spells apocalypse for everyone in the space,” says director Jack Stigner. “It’s basically about the Earth’s resources and the concept is about working through the seasons – regeneration, decadence, decay.

“We don’t want it to come across as something you have to read a lot into because you can take it on several levels, but we want to create our own little myth.”

Like their previous work, Epoch! Is tailored to the site it is being performed in. “The Marlborough is a small theatre and everything happens on stage usually, but we’ve turned that on its head,” says Jack. “Things happen in the green room, the auditorium, the bar – we use the whole space.”

The Foulplay ethos is to treat audiences differently by inviting them to take part in the show. Audience members will be given currency to trade with the characters.

“We like audiences to be a little involved, so the option is there to play your hand and you might get benefits from doing so.”

Jack is aware the phrase “interactive theatre” can strike fear into people’s hearts but says: “We hope to change people’s expectations. You can choose to get involved or you can just sit back and watch things unfold. You’ll get something out of it either way. We’re offering high and low art at the same time. It could just be a bit of fun, but there’s a message behind it as well.”

  • Starts 10.30pm, tickets cost £9/£6. Call 01273 709709