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This two-day Soho pop-up delivers scares, chills and cocktails as part of a promotional event for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions. Our review of Blumhouse Blackout... Photo: Cerebrum Blumhouse Blackout, a two-day immersive pop-up experience from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, took over a building on Bateman Street in Soho last weekend, inviting visitors into the world of M3GAN, The Purge and The Black Phone ahead of Halloween. Tickets to the event were free of charge - though limited - with a walk-up queue available outside the venue for those who missed out. Entering in groups of up to 8 at a time, visitors were first invited to sit in a shabbily decorated living room as two characters in Purge masks ominously walked around silently. With the door to the outside world slammed shut, they leapt into life and instructed guests to move through to the next room for an introductory briefing. Being directed by someone wielding an axe added to the haste with which everyone moved... Photos: Cerebrum The centrepiece of the experience was a 15-minute section with visitors lying on mattresses in a recreation of the basement in The Black Phone. Wearing noise-cancelling headphones throughout, an audio experience created by DARKFIELD - a company well-known for using 360 ° binaural audio to immerse visitors - played out in total darkness, with the only sources of light being the occasional pyrotechnics, dim lighting cues and actor interactions timed alongside the audio. Photo: Cerebrum These brief moments out of darkness certainly ramped up the tension and had some well-timed jump scares, especially when the lights would briefly flick on to find one of the cast inches from your face, but the sections in the pitch black were the most effective, as your imagination would fill in the visuals. Despite being pre-recorded, hearing others around you trying to escape, only to subsequently be captured and dragged away screaming, made the instructions in the opening moments to stay on your mattress at all times to remain safe even more impactful. The climax of the audio experience was an ASMR-like whisper into your ear that sent shivers down your spine, both from the delivery and the sound of saliva moving around their lips and mouth as they spoke. Photo: Cerebrum The second half of the experience took place in a Blumhouse-themed bar at the rear of the venue. At one end, M3GAN was there to greet visitors in a children's playroom. Performed by Annabel Brook, who also played Young Eleven in 2019/2020's Secret Cinema Presents Stranger Things, their robotic invitation to dance led to some of the experience's most entertaining moments, as guests recreated the viral dance moves that helped make the original film such a success. Elsewhere, an invitation to 'play a game' had guests searching the walls of the bar area with a UV flashlight in search of letters, which, when rearranged, made up a code phrase that would result in receiving a complimentary Blumhouse T-Shirt. In addition, complimentary themed cocktails based on popular Blumhouse films were also available. The same bartenders who made those drinks soon shifted gear when the Purge Countdown playing on a TV in the bar hit zero, with them donning masks, smashing bottles and telling us to leave just as quickly as we’d entered. Again, you’re expected to do as told when a masked stranger is holding a weapon… Photo: Immersive Rumours As far as immersive pop-up events go, Blumhouse Blackout was far from the most elaborate to hit London in recent years. It was certainly nowhere near the scale of events such as It Chapter Two experience at The Vaults, and The Boys Get The V by Swamp , but it was nonetheless an engaging and enjoyable experience, especially given the free ticket price. No doubt due to logistical reasons, the event only ran across two days, despite selling out in just a few hours. With Halloween just days away after the doors to Blumhouse Blackout closed, it feels like a missed opportunity not to have the experience run for longer so more people could experience it. Photo: Immersive Rumours ★★★★ Blumhouse Blackout ran at 15 Bateman Street on the 25th and 26th October 2024. For more reviews of immersive experiences like Blumhouse Blackout, click here .

Photo: Squid Game: The Experience Following confirmation that Netflix's smash-hit reality competition, Squid Game: The Challenge , has been renewed for a third season and is now casting, it's been announced that London-based players of Squid Game: The Experience at Immerse LDN can gain an advantage over other applicants to the upcoming season of Netflix's biggest unscripted series. Beginning 17th July, winners of the in-person immersive experience will receive priority consideration for casting, though it does not guarantee a place in the show. Players at the experience will also be able to apply through on-site QR codes and social media links. Photo: Squid Game: The Experience Squid Game: The Experience, which opened in London earlier this year, invites players to take in five challenges inspired by the television series’ nail-biting games, including Red Light, Green Light, Glass Bridge, Tug of War and Marbles over 60 nail-biting minutes. The experience is currently booking until 4th January 2026. While the final season of Squid Game has now aired on Netflix, Season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge is set to premiere on 4th November 2025. The show puts 456 players through a gauntlet of high-stakes games, intense strategy, and psychological tests, all for the life-changing prize of $4.56 million. The first season saw tens of thousands apply, but only one walked away victorious. Photo: Squid Game: The Experience Squid Game: The Experience runs at Immerse LDN until 4th January 2026. Tickets are priced from £35.00 per person. For more info and to book tickets, visit feverup.com

Photo: UNCLE BARRY Immersive Rumours: Hi Ariana and Mia! Thanks for speaking with us today. To kick things off, do you mind telling us a bit about your work as UNCLE BARRY and how you came to start making immersive/interactive theatre? Ariana Aragon:  Hey! Our theatre company, UNCLE BARRY, is made up of Mia and me at its core. We started the company because we share a common interest in experimenting with theatrical form and making interactive work rooted in hope. Right now, we’re getting ready to take our first show, Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party , to Edinburgh. We can’t wait. It’s a birthday party where guests arrive to celebrate Uncle Barry, who seems to have a different relationship with everyone in the room. He’s a mythical man. Pretty magic. The show is absurd, playful, and has a lot of heart. Since it’s rooted in improv and collective storytelling, there’s a great deal of unpredictability based on the people in the room that night. The guests, combined with Barry and the co-creative party setting, really make the show what it is. We listen to the moment at hand and people in the room, and each time it’s a different ride! In a couple of weeks, UNCLE BARRY is also hosting a creative retreat-meets-immersive theatre getaway weekend in Portugal called Edge of Eden. We’re also in the midst of devising our next show, a movement-based interactive production in a dance den, with our friends and collaborators Morgan and Flora, titled PLEASE. Mia Foster:  Whilst the company UNCLE BARRY is the home for all our shared projects and work as individuals, we're always collaborating with other people and artists across our projects. We’re lucky that for Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party, for example, once we had the concept for the piece and applied for Side/Step, we started working with a group of seven brilliant performers. The UNCLE BARRY family extends beyond us, but it’s the company name under which Ariana and I officially work. IR: How did you both first meet? Ariana:  We started making theatre together after meeting on our Master's course. We both study at Royal Central School for Speech and Drama on Advanced Theatre Practice . I used to work in tech, and decided to do a full career shift at the age of 31 because I was ready to put more of my energy into creative work. I’d been throwing these increasingly elaborate themed and theatrical events, and wanted to see how I could do this theatrical play thing more officially… and I found theatre-making and the Advanced Theatre Practice course. Mia : I had 100 different jobs after my undergrad, and have always loved writing, but before starting the course, I was working in marketing and living in Shropshire. I hadn’t had anything to do with theatre for years, but managed to find my way back to it through writing, acting workshops, and luck. I came onto the Advanced Theatre Practice not really knowing what to expect, but feeling I was in the right place. I first met Ariana at the tube station. She was the first person to describe what immersive theatre was to me. I used to interview strangers and write about it, and so interactive and immersive theatre sparked something in me. We were having great conversations about people interacting with one another and the amazing interactions we had both had in our personal lives that led to so many great adventures, and our fear that there were less of these moments happening day to day because maybe people were afraid of speaking to strangers or spending more time either working at home or on screens. So we initially bonded over our interest in that. Photo: UNCLE BARRY IR: Your debut show, Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party, has recently been at Voidspace Live and debuted at Side/Step Festival earlier in the year. How did it first come about? Ariana:  I remember we had a long conversation on my couch about what we were sensing among our generation and even younger, of people being less willing to take risks to interact because so much of life is now moderated through convenience and digitally through a phone. That was a driving motivation for us. How can we approach theatre with this lens of facilitating play and risk-taking with strangers? We were chewing on this for about a month when Deadweight’s Side/Step Festival was being promoted to our cohort. While holding our seed - and honestly, a lot of this was over Zoom, ironically - we concepted Uncle Barry's Birthday Party. I was back in Florida for a few weeks, so while in random Florida coffee shops with really kitschy sharks in the background, on Zoom with Mia, we were talking about ‘What is this show actually going to be? We need a frame to anchor this interactive form we’re curious about.’ Mia:  We described it in the application to Side/Step as a series of escalating invitations. We knew that the space for the festival was a restaurant, and we knew we wanted to make an immersive piece of theatre, so it was really the combination of those two things that led us to a birthday party. And then Uncle Barry came and saved us all. Ariana:  Initially, Side/Step were like ‘Hey, we love it, but we need more. What is this thing?’ so we really were building the plane as we were flying it. Mia: As soon as we had a title and we knew the space, we immediately got performers in a room, and that's when, as a group, we dived into devising around this form and sketch that we were initially interested in. Ariana: Once we formed the initial concept, Domi and Jack from Side/Step were very generous with their time and expertise as we were developing the show. They asked great questions and helped with dramaturgy and directing, all while being supportive of our unconventional form. Mia:  Yeah, they were great and very generous. And then Katy came to the show at Side/Step and offered for us to perform at Voidspace Live , which was so exciting. Photo: James Lawson IR: For those that haven't been to Uncle Barry's Birthday Party, the structure of it is essentially everyone gets together in a room and the question posed to most of the audience is, ‘How do you know Uncle Barry?’, with the audience connecting through their answers to that question and creating a shared mythology. What’s your hope for people's takeaway from the show? Mia:  Lynne [Kendrick], our teacher, said recently, ‘Rather than asking the question ‘What is this about?’ instead ask ‘What does it do?’. That weirdly gave me confidence in the fact that we had started with this interesting experience, form and structure, and so much of the experience of Uncle Barry's Birthday Party is in the process of creating, and not only creating yourself, but also co-creating. Something beautiful that happens in Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party is this collision of narratives and collision of ideas and opinions. Everyone's got their own narrative, and everyone has their own perspective of things, and yet we're all here together. I think Uncle Barry's Birthday Party is a space where we can explore that idea through the realm of play, but there's a lack of pressure to know the answer because there's no right or wrong Uncle Barry. And to do that at a celebration of life, a birthday party, is hopefully something that contributes to the experience for audiences and means something to them. Ariana:   We’ve both been more focused as creators on the stories that come from responding to the moment at hand and people in the room, rather than imposing our stories onto the audience. It’s about trusting the audience in a way, and trusting the stories that come from their experience and process of actually participating in the world. From the start, we were so focused on the experience that we almost didn't have enough threads. We didn't even have that initial question of ‘How do you know Uncle Barry?’ when we first created it. When audience members would come, we would say, ‘Oh, hi! Do you know Uncle Barry? It was a closed question, and they'd turn around and say, ‘No,’ or we'd ask, ‘Hi! How did you hear about the party?’ We wanted people to participate, but it took the two events at Side/Step for us to realise that we needed an open-ended question to create the kind of collective, imaginative experience for the audience. Mia: There’s also something about it being in a birthday party setting, which means, hopefully, they don't feel that they have to make this massive leap into the world beyond having RSVP'd/bought a ticket and being asked, ‘How do you know Uncle Barry?’. That was important to us because we wanted to create an environment where people can participate as much or as little as they like, and the experience still works. Some people arrive and have a full character party persona, but most people have been to a birthday party, so even if they don't want to perform to the same extent, they can just be themselves, and that's enough. Our favourite feedback has been from people saying they never usually speak to this many strangers because they’d be too nervous, or that they don’t usually like this sort of thing, but found the show really fun. That feels special. Photo: James Lawson IR: For a company like yourselves, how important is it to have festivals like Voidspace Live and Side/Step to get this show in front of audiences and have the chance to work out what the show really is? Mia:  Firstly, the show would never have happened if we hadn't had Side/Step to apply for. We never would have learned these things if we hadn't had Voidspace Live to go on to. The show doesn't work unless we're performing in front of an audience because we can only ever half rehearse. Because of the experimental side of the questions that come from playing in participatory theatre, Uncle Barry is ever evolving… From these festivals, we’re learning so much about how to build a story and structure in which so much of the magic comes from audience interaction. There’s no way it would be possible without seeing the show up on its feet. There are things you find happening in a show you could never have imagined in a rehearsal. Especially when it comes to immersive stuff. It wouldn't exist without either Side/Step or Voidspace. Ariana:  Having the chance to perform the show repeatedly is teaching us the balance of driving the performance versus allowing it to unfold from the audience. The audience has a lot of power in the ending. I think without having more exposure to the possibilities, we can be too controlling or too passive. Even just these four shows have given us a lot more wisdom to be more discerning in how we approach each audience interaction. Mia:  The core mechanic of it is this kind of co-creation, which is the heart of the show. Unless we're with an audience, we never know the capacity, the potential, or the possibilities that can happen in those moments. IR: You've got a lot more opportunities to explore these ideas next month, when the show goes to the Edinburgh Fringe. How are you feeling going into that? Do you think it's going to be a very different show by the end of that Fringe run? Ariana:  I'm feeling good. Mia:  I'm so excited. Ariana:  I think what's really nice about the show so far is that we've done a lot of the groundwork. We're going to rehearse more beforehand to strengthen our performance and make some adjustments from Voidspace, but the core of the show is there. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a different show at the end. That's something we've talked about too - how do we want to make changes during the run, what does decision making look like? We want to be responsive, and we want to learn from Fringe, but we also want to hold the core. Mia:  Because so much of the show is about the creation of narratives, it's an exciting and risky game that we're playing, doing nine shows back to back around Uncle Barry. It's going to be important for us, I think, at the end of each night to dispel the Barry of that evening before going into the next day. The beauty of the show is that it's the people in the room, in the moment, that decide who Uncle Barry is and what this party means. If we, by accident, as everyone does, start building narratives around what's happening and events at the Fringe, we are going to start building a narrative that is more set than we would like, going into each show fresh with new audiences. It's going to be an exciting challenge for our core mechanic and our ability as performers to wipe the slate clean so that we’re able to be completely open-minded and open-hearted when all these incredible, inventive, exciting, new ideas about Uncle Barry and why we're all here come flooding in. Photo: James Lawson IR: In the performances you’ve done so far, what’s been the best response you’ve had to the question of ‘How do you know Uncle Barry?’ Ariana: I won’t use the kidney one, but that is actually one of my favourites... [NB: IR said Uncle Barry donated a kidney to them when they attended the show] IR: Thank you… Ariana:  I really loved the last show when someone said they chopped wood for Uncle Barry. What an interesting window… What happens when you chop wood for someone for so long? What happens when someone teaches you to chop wood? I think that was very fun. Mia:  One night we had a plumber for Uncle Barry, and the following night, Barry was someone's plumber. On both nights, they plugged their business numbers. They gave out the plumbing number for Uncle Barry, and they broadcast their plumbing company. I enjoyed the serendipity of that. Ariana:  I want to start logging the Barry’s. I am genuinely entertained during the entire show as we’re performing it from these stories people come up with. Mia: Someone met Barry when they were coming out of a supermarket. Their bags split, and all their fruit and shopping fell out, and Barry was the person to come and help. IR: It’s like a romcom meet-cute! Mia:  Yeah, it's such a meet-cute that they'd then come to the birthday party! I like it when people say things like ‘Oh, he's a friend of a friend’ because then I wonder, ‘Well, what the hell are you doing here? He must have had such an impact on you for you to have come all this way.’ That's always a fun line to go down. My friend Sam claimed he studied Long English with Barry at university. We said ‘What is Long English?’ and he said he had no idea. I liked the guy who was going on cruises with Barry. Apparently, Barry was one for taking the ladies back to the cabin. Someone made clocks with Barry. Something mysterious happened with Barry and my friend Fran on a fishing trip… We had Barry’s therapist - that was a good one. IR: It’s hard to pin down exactly who Barry is… Mia:  Yeah. You know… when we were making it, the question of ‘Who is Uncle Barry?’ was constantly going through our minds. Throughout our day, we would be sending photos of things going ‘That's so Uncle Barry'. You'd see someone and you'd say, ‘I've just met someone who's so Uncle Barry’, or you'd see a line in a book and say, ‘This is so Uncle Barry’. We realised that actually, Uncle Barry is an energy or an essence that’s not up for us to define and tell other people. Listening to what was happening throughout the process and noticing that, yeah, Uncle Barry is different for everyone, and yet there’s this energy that everyone knows when they feel it. Everyone makes up their own Uncle Barry; we just have to listen. Uncle Barry’s Birthday Party is at the Edinburgh Fringe between 9th and 17th August 2025 at Muse at Braw Venues @ Hill Street (Venue 41). Tickets are priced from £14.00 and can be booked via edfringe.com

Champagne, acrobatics, and cabaret combine to make a riotous and sexy night out in semi-immersive show Sabrage, which recently premiered at Lafayette in King's Cross. Photo: Johan Persson Sabrage, the latest show from Australian producers Strut & Fret and Southwark-based Menier Chocolate Factory, has opened its doors at Lafayette in King's Cross. Taking over a space that up until now has primarily been a music venue, it's a champagne-soaked evening of acrobatics, cabaret, comedy, singing and lip-syncing that treats its audience like extensions of the show's eight-strong cast. Within Sabrage, champagne is a running theme. The show gets its name from the ceremonial technique of slicing off the top of a champagne bottle with a sabre - an act that fittingly opens the show - and presumably, there are crates of the stuff positioned backstage, given how much is sprayed, downed and decanted throughout the evening. Photo: Johan Persson Across two hours, the show offers guests the chance to witness some wonderfully choreographed numbers from both the ensemble and the likes of Skye Ladell, whose suggestive solo performance to 'Go F**k Yourself' by Two Feet has them silhouetted against a red backdrop. There are excellent musical performances from Rechelle Mansour peppered throughout and anxiety-inducing feats of acrobatics, including foot juggling from the incredibly skilled Emma Phillips, who balances and spins four parasols followed by a large wooden table on the soles of her feet. Christian Nimri's sharp rollerskating routine transitions into an impressively high-speed aerial hoop sequence, while acrobatic duo Kimberley Bargenquast and Flynn Miller close out the show's final act with a duo straps performance that sees them hang onto and off each other as they rapidly spin above the audience. It's moments like these in which the intimacy provided by Lafayette's size comes into its own. With so little distance between the performers and the crowd, the skill and expertise on display from the entire cast can be taken in and appreciated all the more. Photo: Roy J Baron While Sabrage isn't billed as an immersive experience, it's structure and design lends itself to being semi-immersive, and there are plenty of moments in which the cast and the audience interact. The performers can often be seen under a spotlight leaning over Lafayette's balcony above the crowd, hanging off ladders and ledges amongst the tables, or sitting in the laps of audience members with next to no notice. In between the main acts, the hosting duo of Remi Martin (the person, not the Cognac) and Spencer Novich offer up numerous moments of explicit humour and take great joy in roping in the audience as they weave around the space. There are grapes thrown from the venue's balcony into the mouths of audience members and the cast down below, some cringe-inducing impressions coaxed out of the audience by the duo, and during a show-stopping rendition of ' Non, je ne regrette rien ' from a naked Martin, who uses his.. instrument... as an instrument behind a waist-high French flag, an audience member is called upon for help picking up and handing over microphones and lotions outside of Martin's limited grasp. Photo: Johan Persson There are also a couple of big set-piece moments in Sabrage that directly involve the crowd. An on-stage pillow fight quickly spills out into the stalls, with plumes of feathers flying everywhere as performers and audience wage cushioned war against each other, and later in the show Martin and Bargenquast , champagne bottles in hand, hang off the end of a rotating pole that spins over the crowd as bubbles fill the room. Audience member's empty champagne flutes are topped up by the pair from directly overhead, and in a moment that feels ripped from the opening of Babylon, one guest has champagne poured directly into their mouth from 10 feet in the air before Bargenquast spins away to top up more glasses. Immersive elements aside, Sabrage is a wonderful show that'll likely leave you smiling ear to ear. With some great adult humour, provocative moments and impressive feats of acrobatics on display, it ticks all the boxes for a great night out. For those looking to scratch that immersive itch with a new piece of work, there are also plenty of fun interactions for both individuals and the wider audience to engage with that feel tailor-made to ensure everyone leaves happy. Raise a glass! ★★★★ ½ Photos: Johan Persson/Matt Crockett Sabrage runs at Lafayette in King's Cross from 13th August 2025 to 8th February 2026. Tickets are priced from £25.00 per person. For more info and to book tickets, visit fever.up

From intergalactic space missions and open-world towns obsessed with platypuses to expeditions into the darkest depths of Peru, here are our recommendations for the best family friendly immersive experiences in London this summer holiday... London has never had a shortage of family-friendly activities, from world-class museums and zoos to West End shows and tourist attractions that cater to all ages. Among the hundreds of things to do on any given day in the capital are some stand-out immersive experiences that allow families to become part of the story and get involved to a degree not possible elsewhere. Below are our recommendations for the top five immersive experiences running in London this summer that will engage and entertain the whole family... The Paddington Bear Experience Photo: Alex Brenner An immersive walk-through show spread out over 26,000 sq ft in the heart of Central London, The Paddington Bear Experience allows guests to step inside the world of Michael Bond's classic stories for the first time as preparations for the Marmalade Day celebrations are underway at Windsor Gardens. Guests will get hands-on with a series of tasks throughout the experience as they meet a cast of characters from the much-loved book series, including Mrs. Brown. There's a lovingly recreated version of the Brown's family home, complete with the blossom tree mural at the foot of their staircase, and an excursion to Peru where you help create Marmalade, amongst other interactive moments. Photo opportunities with Paddington are available at the conclusion of the experience, as well as a chance to buy your own Marmalade sandwiches. The show is directed by Tom Maller, whose previous work includes some of London's biggest immersive shows of recent years (Peaky Blinders: The Rise, Doctor Who: Time Fracture, Secret Cinema's Blade Runner, Romeo + Juliet, and Casino Royale). Photos: Alex Brenner Help Paddington and the Brown Family prepare for a very special occasion; the Marmalade Day Festival. Just like Paddington, you’ll begin your adventure in the hustle and bustle of Paddington Station where you’ll meet the friendly Station Master and hop aboard our full-sized train carriage – make sure you aren’t late! Journey through the sights and sounds of London, all the way to the Brown’s house at No. 32 Windsor Gardens. Step inside the Brown’s famous tree adorned hallway and explore multiple rooms in their home, then venture beyond as you’re transported to the magical jungle of Peru – all to help Paddington prepare for the biggest party Windsor Gardens has ever seen! Finish by celebeating the Marmalade Day Festival at Windsor Gardens with Paddington and his friends where you’ll dance to vibrant calypso music, play fairground games and eat & drink festival treats – most importantly you can try Paddington’s favourite Marmalade sandwich! 📍 Waterloo 💰 From £136.00 (Family of 4) 🧒 Suitable for all ages 🎟️ Book via paddingtonbearexperience.com Bridge Command (Cadet Shows) Photo: Alex Brenner Bridge Command's origins date back to 2019, when Parabolic Theatre first prototyped an early version of the experience on a shoestring budget. An instant hit among immersive theatre fans, they continued to develop the concept over the following five years before debuting this supersized version of the show beneath the railway arches near Vauxhall station earlier this year. The highly interactive experience lets guests take charge of a starship and work together in a series of missions that could see them do anything from delivering cargo to investigating distress signals or exploring uncharted corners of the galaxy. Parabolic Theatre has long been pioneering immersive experiences that respond on the fly to guest decisions, and the show features a sophisticated back-end system that logs everything visitors do so that future visits incorporate their past choices into their next adventure. Available on Fridays and Sundays through the summer, Bridge Command is running Cadet Missions aimed at those aged between 11-16. While you can expect a slightly less challenging experience, it's no less interactive. Photos: Alex Brenner Have you ever dreamed of commanding your own Starship? As the bridge crew of your own vessel, you will boldly go where no immersive theatre audience has gone before. Fusing gaming technology with theatrical performance, Bridge Command offers a variety of scenarios designed to keep the whole team fully engaged. Designed for groups of between three and six people, our fully interactive starship set will respond to your commands, and carry you beyond the final frontier.​​​ It is your job to make it so. You will be given a uniform and be part of a crew. Your ship is a complex organism that will require maintenance, you will meet a variety of characters played by live actors, and your missions will involve an array of challenges. More specifically, each officer’s station has a different set of tasks to complete. Helm officers fly the ship, engineering officers keep it running, and so on. 📍 Vauxhall 💰 From £160.00 (Family of 4) 🧒 Suitable for ages 11-15 🎟️ Book via bridgecommand.space Phantom Peak - Starlit Summer Photo: Alistair Veryard Phantom Peak is a hard show to describe to people who haven't been before. It combines elements of escape rooms, immersive theatre and theme parks into a unique open-world experience that feels a lot like a real-life video game. The town is populated by over a dozen actors spread across the venue's 30,000sq ft space, and each season of Phantom Peak (it's currently on its ninth season since first opening in August 2022) has 10 brand-new storylines for guests to complete. They take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to finish and will have you interacting with both the town's residents and numerous pieces of interactive technology scattered across the town. There are puzzles to be solved, characters to interrogate, and many opportunities to improvise with the show's excellent cast of characters. Aside from the 10 main storylines, there are plenty of other things going on to occupy your time, including Platyhooks (hook a duck but with platypuses), carnival games, filmmaking contests, the Miramaze, and new for Starlit Summer, the Cabin Games. Every session of Phantom Peak is open to all ages, and the show's cast is excellent at interacting with younger guests. An ideal real-world substitute for a day of playing video games at home. Phantom Peak is a standout experience in London's immersive theatre scene. Photos: Alistair Veryard A fully immersive, open world experience - a living, breathing town where mystery lurks around every corner. Think of it as part escape room, part immersive theatre, part real-life videogame. You’ll meet mysterious strangers, uncover secret plots of rebellion, and find out what exactly happened to the old Mayor (coincidental accident, or cold-blimped murder?!) This summer, the residents of Phantom Peak are headed to the great outdoors! Long sunny days have arrived at last, and the Sun Daddy’s light has provided a warm atmosphere for the Townsfolk to compete in exciting camp competitions! But the warmth and sunlight may be blinding the townsfolk to the nefarious machinations of JONACO, hard at work in the mines. Jonas’s powerhouse company has been developing projects in the darkest corners of town, their true intentions a mystery. Join the summer fun, explore the sundrenched canals and lakeside, and uncover JONACO’s mysterious plot before it’s too late! 📍 Canada Water 💰 From £124.00 (Family of 4) 🧒 Suitable for all ages 🎟️ Book via phantompeak.com AVORA: FAMILY Immersive Adventure Originally designed to be an immersive cocktail experience for those 18 and older, Avora is the latest show from Inventive Productions, the company behind Alcotraz and Moonshine Saloon. Across the summer holidays, they're hosting a family-friendly version of the show that swaps the cocktails out for mocktails and puts kids at the centre of the show. Set across three main spaces in their basement venue, it's taken a healthy amount of inspiration from the Avatar film series and is the closest thing you can get to visiting Pandora this side of the Atlantic. Guests are all given a jumpsuit to wear upon arrival that's embroidered with the logo of Roscorp - a tech conglomerate they'll be acting on behalf of during their journey. We'll leave it up to you to decide if Roscorp's true intentions for exploring far-off planets are noble or nefarious (spoilers: they're not good..), but you're there in good faith, acting as scientists on a fact-finding expedition to an other-worldly planet. There are two mocktails included in the ticket price, as well as a number of sensory games and challenges for guests aged 5-11. The new world of Avora is ready and waiting to be explored! Roscorp Enterprise, the founding company of the remarkable gateway to Avora, has yet to gain the trust of the locals and uncover all the potential of the new world. Having failed with their current crew so far, Roscorp believes children may just be the key to unlocking the secrets of Avora. Will you be lucky enough to be selected to join the crew? A journey to Avora is like no experience you will have had before, a magical and mysterious planet which evolves and changes before your very eyes. Your mission if you choose to accept is to explore this new world and uncover the secrets that lie within. You will be guided by Dr Shelly to find the hidden secrets, interact with the local Avorians to learn how they live, play games and sample some of the rare delicacies found on Avora. 📍 Hoxton 💰 From £108.00 (Family of 4) 🧒 Suitable for ages 5-11 🎟️ Book via avora-experience.co.uk Enitan's Game - Punchdrunk Enrichment Photo: Ali Wright The sister company to immersive heavyweight Punchdrunk, Punchdrunk Enrichment was founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Peter Higgin with the intention of taking the innovative practice of Punchdrunk into communities and schools. The first production in their new Punchdrunk Enrichment Stores venue in Wembley Park, Enitan's Game, revolves around a game created by Enitan's grandfather, who recently passed away. The show is part immersive theatre, part child-friendly escape room, and kids are the focus of the 50-minute experience, so adults can expect to take more of a backseat. The show is co-created by Mia Jerome and Peter Higgin, written by Mia Jerome, Casey Jay Andrews, Omar F. Okai, and Simon Maeder, and directed by Omar F. Okai. Photos: Ali Wright Tucked away off a busy road in Wembley is a special place. Warm and welcoming, it’s a home for many when you are far from your own. Inside you’ll find Enitan and Ged, two friends who collect objects and stories. One such item is a game, made by Enitan’s grandfather when she first arrived in the UK. As a young girl, whenever she felt sad or homesick they played it together. It made her feel stronger and helped her grow. Now Enitan’s grandfather has gone and she needs your help to play again. Together, you’ll discover a secret world, and unlock the storyteller in you. Experience an immersive theatre show for families from Punchdrunk Enrichment in our brand-new venue. Enitan’s Game celebrates the power of shared stories, loss and community. Pick a card, let the journey begin. 📍 Wembley Park 💰 From £68.00 (Family of 4) 🧒 Suitable for ages 6-11 🎟️ Book via punchdrunkenrichment.org.uk For more on London's best immersive shows (family-friendly and not) check out our Current/Upcoming Listings page.

Punchdrunk Enrichment has announced that Steve McCourt has been appointed as the company’s new Artistic Director and Co-CEO. Steve will succeed current artistic director and founder of Punchdrunk Enrichment, Peter Higgin, who will be stepping down in December after 17 years.  Photo: Nina Photography   The Brent-based theatre maker and educator is currently Associate Director of Punchdrunk Enrichment where he is writing and directing the upcoming festive family production Fireside Tales  (running at Punchdrunk Enrichment Stores, Wembley Park from 6 December) .   His previous work for the company includes immersive learning project The Creature Chronicles , teaching resource The Immersive Learning Toolkit and the development and delivery of Punchdrunk Enrichment’s programme of workshops, masterclasses and mentoring projects for teachers. Steve has also worked with companies such as Tall Stories, Improbable, Blind Summit and The Wardrobe Ensemble, taking work for young audiences to stages including ​​​​​​​​the Lyric and the Vaudeville Theatre (West End), Sydney Opera House, Royal Opera House, National Theatre of Holland, Bregenzer Festspiele and Spoleto Festival.  Punchdrunk Enrichment was founded by Peter Higgin in 2008 to take the innovative practice of Punchdrunk into communities and schools, becoming the pioneer of immersive learning internationally. Now operating as an independent charity, Punchdrunk Enrichment’s projects have reached over 200,000 people and include The Lost Lending Library (reaching 40,000 children as an installation project for whole schools and now touring internationally as a family show) and productions such as Enitan’s Game   (the first show to be staged in the company’s own unique immersive venue ‘Punchdrunk Enrichment Stores’ in Brent), Against Captain’s Orders (created in partnership with the National Maritime Museum) and Greenhive Green (which took place in a care home for older people including those with dementia). In 2024 alone, Punchdrunk Enrichment worked with 64 schools, delivering immersive learning projects across the UK, and welcomed more than 3,700 children and families into the company’s new venue in Wembley. Photo: Paul Cochrane Speaking about his new appointment as Artistic Director Steve McCourt said: Punchdrunk Enrichment is an extraordinary company. As Associate Director, the last two years have brought my happiest and proudest moments as a creative – thanks, in no small part, to Peter’s exceptional leadership and vision. As we enter our next chapter, I see my role as both a custodian of the company’s legacy and as a frontiersman ready to lead the team into new creative pastures.  I’ve been a Brent resident for over 15 years and have seen first-hand the creativity housed in every school and home in the area. From Kilburn to Kingsbury, the borough is brimming with stories waiting to be told. As Artistic Director, I look forward to working closely with Brent artists and audiences to create work that is locally rooted and globally relevant.  I’m honoured to continue my journey with Punchdrunk Enrichment as Artistic Director. I’m excited to lead our incredible team as we celebrate the imagination as a catalyst for change, close learning gaps and offer every child the agency to become the protagonist of their own story – to become the authors of futures yet to be written’  Photo: Ali Wright Peter Higgin, outgoing Artistic Director said: I have had the privilege of calling Punchdrunk and Punchdrunk Enrichment home for the last 25 years and am honoured to have been on the most amazing journey with Punchdrunk Enrichment over the past 17 years.  As the organisation continues to embed itself in Brent now is a great time to step back and handover to fresh artistic leadership. I am thrilled to hand over to Steve and I can think of no better person for the job. He understands the power of Punchdrunk Enrichment's immersive practice and has already proved himself invaluable as Associate Director.  He has a deep love of creative work for young audiences both in theatrical and educational settings.’     Nabil Al-Kinani (Punchdrunk Enrichment Trustee) said: I'm incredibly happy about Steve's appointment as Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Punchdrunk Enrichment. Steve embodies a thoughtful and respectful approach, understanding that rich cultures and communities existed in Brent long before Punchdrunk Enrichment's arrival. Rather than imposing a new vision, he's committed to championing, elevating, and investing in the borough’s existing talent and vibrant cultural landscape.  His unique ability to leverage Punchdrunk Enrichment’s resources to amplify local voices and enrich the community sets him apart as a true force for good. I'm genuinely excited to witness Steve lead Punchdrunk Enrichment into this meaningful and impactful chapter’    As he steps away from his role after 17 years, outgoing artistic director and founder of Punchdrunk Enrichment Peter Higgin is launching a fundraiser: the ‘ Founder to Future Challenge ’ to support the ongoing work of the company. This October he will run from his home in Ventnor, Isle of Wight to Punchdrunk Enrichment’s home in Wembley. At almost 100 miles, he will complete this remarkable challenge in three days, running three Ultra Marathons back-to-back with an aim to raise upwards of £25k to support Punchdrunk Enrichment and local youth-focused organisations on the Isle of Wight and in Brent.   As a registered charity, Punchdrunk Enrichment relies on donations to help reach more children and families, particularly those with limited access to arts and cultural experiences. Funds raised through the Founder to Future Challenge will support the company’s core work: keeping ticket prices affordable, offering schools highly subsidised creative learning projects, and developing bold, imaginative experiences that place children at the heart of the story.

Photo: Race Across The World: The Experience Following the launch of Race Across the World: The Experience earlier this year in London, CityDays are have confirmed plans to launch a Manchester version of the experience later this summer. The high-stakes experience will offer players the chance to live out their Race Across the World dreams by navigating the streets of Manchester, working as a team, outwitting their competitors, and unlocking the hidden secrets of the city in an unforgettable race to the finish line! Just like in the show, the experience requires strategy, teamwork, and quick thinking, as players will be given a budget to manage as they race through the city. This budget can be spent on valuable clues to help navigate the next leg of the journey, giving players the freedom to decide how daring they want to be. It's a high-stakes race against the clock, where every decision counts, and influences the race, but could also come at a cost. Players will be scored based on their time and how much budget they have left, with their final score ranked on a live leaderboard throughout the day and week. The team that completes the challenge in the fastest time with the most budget remaining will earn a shot at being crowned the daily or weekly champions. Split into three distinct legs that weave through the heart of Manchester, the race takes participants on a 4-5 km mission through this iconic city, typically spanning 2-3 hours. Like Studio Lambert’s format, Race Across The World, this experience highlights the treasures people miss while speeding through the streets on the trams and buses. Along the way, the experience will visit key partner venues, including renowned pubs, cultural hotspots, or famous landmarks, each serving as a 'checkpoint' where teams must solve clever, escape room-style puzzles. These puzzles will guide them toward the next leg of the race, offering clues that unveil new parts of the city, all while providing a true taste of Manchester’s hidden gems. Tom Rymer, Founder of CityDays, said: Following an outstanding debut month in London that has thrilled fans of the show, both old and new, we are bringing the Race Across The World Experience to Manchester. New puzzles, new characters, new decisions and new discoveries, all coming soon over three new thrilling legs. Manchester, are you ready for your race? Jane Sharp, VP Formats and Licensing (Operations) at All3Media International, commented: CityDays have been outstanding partners in bringing Race Across the World: The Experience to life across London, with clear passion and creative vision. We’re thrilled to be continuing our collaboration as the experience expands to Manchester. This expansion is a testament to how strongly players have connected with the experience and embraced the opportunity to test their skills and strategy in real life, just as they’ve seen in Studio Lambert’s much-loved format. It also highlights the adaptability and wide appeal of Race Across the World: The Experience, and we can’t wait to find out who is next in the race. Perfect for groups of friends, family, or colleagues, CityDays’ Race Across the World: The Experience in Manchester promises a fun, fast-paced, and surprising day out. Whether you’re an avid fan of the show or simply looking for a unique way to explore the city, this experience is set to deliver a thrilling new way to discover Manchester on foot. Race Across The World: The Experience will launch in Manchester this summer. For more information, and to sign up to the waitlist, visit raceacrosstheworldexperience.com/manchester

Saint Jude is the latest immersive experience from Swamp Motel - a company that seems to constantly be pushing themselves to create truly original and engaging pieces of immersive theatre, both in the real world or online. Through the COVID-19 lockdowns, they developed Isklander - a trilogy of excellent Zoom based escape experiences that had audiences hacking into social media and email accounts in search of a missing woman against the clock. Once on the other side of the UK's numerous lockdowns and restrictions, they opened The Drop, an escape experience that had audiences enter the criminal underworld trying to locate a long-lost book inside an unassuming office block in Aldgate. It was a show that constantly pulled the rug out from under its audience, leaving those playing to never truly know where the escape-room experience ended and the real world began. With expectations high, they return now with Saint Jude - a show created in collaboration with CharismaAI, that is vastly different to their previous shows. While it may not stick the landing in the same way some of their other work has, it's a unique and engaging hour of entertainment. The premise of the show finds audience members arrive at Saint Jude, a private company that describes itself as a 'world first organisation that allows you to communicate with people trapped in lifelong, irreversible comas'. We're there for our trial shift as Guidestars - those who are paired to the mind of a random comatose patient, somewhere in the UK, and we're trying to form a strong enough connection to help them wake up. It's no surprise that the story we enter into has more to it than first meets the eye. During our briefing from Stefan, the Saint Jude staff member tasked with explaining the technology and advising us on how to best connect to our patients, he presents with a smile almost as false as his sincerity. Photo: Alexander Nicolaou Once settled into our desks, with headphones on and a million instructions flying through our heads, we begin to talk to our patient. Powered entirely by AI - with a slightly robotic sounding voice, we start to learn more about our patients past and are slowly asked to reveal more about ourselves all in the name of forming a connection - classic small talk topics such as our star sign, or our favourite movie. The technology on display is genuinely impressive, if at times a little restrictive. If you can suspend your disbelief it does feel like a proper conversation, albeit with someone who will occasionally ignore the personal details you've just shared to continue talking about themselves. It's not that surprising given you're always working towards a series of story beats, which your AI companion will keep hitting regardless of what you say. The journey, however, is thrilling and slowly escalates over an hour. Towards the climax, the story breaks free from your headphones and requires real-world action from yourself - an interaction with others that we navigated successfully thanks to some social engineering. Ultimately it's a small moment that feels a lot larger due to the pressure put on you by the AI voice in your ears egging you on. Swamp Motel has again delivered an experience that's totally different to anything else out there, and their ability to constantly reinvent or subvert the expectations of what an immersive experience can be is incredibly exciting, even if this show fell a little flat compared to their previous work. ★★★ ½ Saint Jude is located at 100 Petty France, London. Tickets are available through saintjude.ai , prices start at £20 per person.

An immersive stage version of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy , based on Douglas Adams’ novels and the Touchstone Pictures film, will have its world premiere at Riverside Studios in London from 15th November 2025, running until 15th February 2026. Join Arthur Dent, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Fenchurch and the most unlikely crew in the history of galactic adventure as you escape the destruction of Earth with seconds to spare and begin a search for answers to the mystery of Life, the Universe and Everything, armed only with a towel and one VERY depressed robot. The night begins in a rather unusual pub as you settle in, drink in hand, for an evening of storytelling and spectacle. From there, the story lifts off - quite literally - as you hitch a ride on a passing spaceship, discover the meaning of life, and join a quest to persuade a group of inter-dimensional mice to give the Earth a second chance. The show will transform Riverside Studios 2 & 3, the connecting corridors, loading docks and bar space into Douglas Adams’ improbable and wondrous universe. The beloved London venue has a long history in British science fiction, dating back to early Doctor Who and, in recent years, has been a launching pad for West End hits like Operation Mincemeat. The show is created by award-winning writer, producer and protégé of Douglas Adams,  Arvind Ethan David  (Lenny Henry’s  Boy With Wings ,  Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency  on Netflix )  and Emmy Award-winning stage designer  Jason Ardizzone-West  ( Redwood ,  Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Jesus Christ Superstar Live ). It will be co-directed and choreographed by  Lorin Latarro  ( The Producers, Mrs. Doubtfire )   and co-directed by  Simon Evans  ( Staged, Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright ),  Georgia Clarke-Day  ( Monopoly Lifesized ,  The Traitors: Live Experience ) and  David Frias-Robles  (Taskmaster: The Live Experience, Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright ) for  Myriad Entertainment . Based on Douglas Adams’ iconic novels and the Touchstone Pictures film, the show is presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatricals. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy live show is produced by Tony Award®-winning Broadway and West End producer  Tamar Climan  of Climan Producing, whose credits span more than 80 shows, and Prodigal Entertainment (Broadway’s  Jagged Little Pill ), with general management by Smart Entertainment.    Rhys Williamson , Head of Programming at Riverside Studios said: We’re thrilled to welcome The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to Riverside Studios. This production is set to use the building in ways no show has ever done before – creating a truly out-of-this-world experience for audiences. As a venue with deep sci-fi roots, Riverside feels like the perfect venue to premiere this immersive adventure, before it takes over the galaxy.   Co-director of the show,  Simon Evans of Myriad Entertainment said: My introduction to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a (slightly battered) cassette of the radio version, which I borrowed from my school library and listened to on an old Walkman. I remember hearing the voice of the Guide, then The Eagles’ “Journey of the Sorcerer”, and I was hooked. From an immersive perspective, it is such an incredible world to build and pull an audience into: strange and expansive, silly and moving, filled with unique characters and tackling things which are still very much relevant today with a quintessentially British sense of humour. Upon being reached in his maximum security prison cell on Frogstar Planet B, former Galactic President Zaphod Beeblebrox responded: A show about me? It’s going to be big. Mind bogglingly-big. The biggest thing since the Big Bang! Wait a minute, am I getting paid royalties on this? The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Live Show will run from 15th November to 15th February 2026 at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Standard tickets are priced from £42.00, and VIP tickets priced from £72.00. For more information and to book tickets, visit hitchhikerslive.com

This 24-hour-long immersive experience in rural Wales is an intricately crafted, deeply atmospheric weekend of occult mysteries and meaningful immersion. Photo: Lemon Difficult A three-hour drive outside of London, deep in the Welsh countryside and down the kind of single-lane road that has you saying, 'There's no way anyone would actually drive down this at 60mph', sits Treowen. Flanked on all sides by grazing sheep, standing alone atop a hill, and surrounded by rolling green fields in every direction, this 17th-century manor house, complete with oak panelling and hidden nooks, is as picturesque a place as you could ever hope to spend a weekend in. It's also home to one of the best immersive experiences we've ever done. Running from noon to noon with an overnight stay on-site, The Key of Dream combines fine dining, puzzle and escape room elements, improvised interactive performance and branching narratives to create a one-of-a-kind, occult-infused immersive experience that's driven by the audience and their choices. For each show, groups of up to 20 are free to explore nearly every inch of the Jacobean house and its grounds to their heart's content in an attempt to untangle the show's elaborate web of Lovecraftian mysteries and discover the root cause of what's going on at Treowen. With an exceptionally detailed narrative that rewards exploration and curiosity, the ability for guests to directly shape how the story unfolds, a remarkably committed and talented cast and the luxury of ample time to become absorbed into the world, The Key of Dreams offers those who attend the rare opportunity to completely detach from the outside world, dive headfirst into a fully realised alternative reality and truly lose themselves in the story for a full day. Photo: Lemon Difficult Ex-civil servant Wyn Haffenden (Rik Sowden) has been plagued by nightmares since inheriting Treowen. After countless sleepless nights and endless strange dreams, they're at their wits' end and have reached out to dogged Miskatonic University alumnus Randolph Carter (Dan Osbaldeston) for help. Carter, in turn, has extended invitations to both Dee (Emily Carding) - a historiographer with reason to return to Treowen after 20 years - and us, the newly recruited Friends of the Miskatonic University, to try and get to the bottom of these eldritch goings-on. Alongside these three core characters, guests may also find themselves trading stories with The Collector (Maxine Dubois), unravelling the show's complexities with sharp-tongued lawyer Hope (Leo Doulton), or quietly unearthing long-held secrets with housekeeper Sophie (Monica Salvi), who knows a lot more than they let on. Upon arriving at Treowen, those who stay on-site are escorted to their rooms to settle in before lunch. Awaiting guests is a copy of The Miskatonic University Field Guide, a red, hardback book that serves as each guest's bible for the experience. With 35-odd pages of printed information and handwritten annotations from Carter, it's heavy reading for those who expected a gentle easing into the show and pretty overwhelming at first glance, but essential to understand both how the show's many mechanics and systems work and how much influence the guests have over the story. Alongside the Fields Guide sits an invitation to become a badge-holding member of the Friends of Miskatonic University, and for some, a second invite to instead join rival society, PRISMA. While the FMU Field Guide makes clear that collaboration and knowledge sharing between FMU members are essential if the expedition at Treowen is to be a success, it's apparent that some information must be held closer to one's chest, and as time goes on, not all of the guests' goals will be aligned. Photo: Lemon Difficult As explained by Carter in the Field Guide, there are multiple paths to uncovering the secrets held within Treowen. While guests can engage with these elements as much or as little as they like and still have a rewarding experience, for many, a good place to start is working through the Cuttings, which are scattered throughout the garden and house. By decoding the inscriptions on each of the 80-odd cuttings, guests will uncover an important, hidden phrase that The Collector has expressed a keen interest in finding out. Guests looking to dive deeper into the show's rich lore can jump onto any of the five story strains, which have taken influence from the real-life history of Treowen and folklore from the surrounding Monmouthshire area, through numerous diary entries, cryptexes, puzzles, and physical props spread across the venue. If all of this sounds like a lot to take in, that's because it is. There's a steep learning curve to the opening hours of The Key of Dreams, and the sheer volume of things to look at, take note of, and investigate can be too much for those still grappling with exactly what they should be spending their time focusing on. The show's cast is on hand to gently nudge guests in the right direction if needed, but The Key of Dreams is first and foremost an audience-driven experience, with very little explicitly spelt out. Among our group of 20 guests, many seemed to take to the complex puzzle-solving elements with ease, while others opted for a slower approach, instead retreating to the Snug with a hot drink to while away the hours doing more traditional jigsaw puzzles, which also tie into the show's broader narrative. Photo: Lemon Difficult Underpinning the puzzle-focused elements of The Key of Dreams, there's a huge focus on immersive interactions between guests and the 6-strong cast, which manifests itself in a number of ways. With one actor to every three guests, there's an unbelievable amount of face time offered to those able to pull themselves away from the puzzles. One-on-one, improvised interactions with the cast are commonplace and can occur at basically any moment, whether it's passing a character going up the manor house's grand staircase, catching them as they prepare tea or coffee or, in the case of Carter, when they're stood out front of the building having a cigarette. For those who choose to align themselves with a particular character or society, there's a series of scheduled meetings for either FMU or PRISMA members in pre-arranged locations around the house, where guests meet to debate and discuss their next collective steps. For the wider group of 20, the numerous meals (lunch, supper, dinner and breakfast) that occur throughout the 24-hour stay, in which Dee and Carter eat alongside guests, give ample opportunity to see the interpersonal relationships between characters become more and more strained as the intensity of the experience begins to ramp up. Photo: Lemon Difficult One of The Key of Dreams’ greatest strengths is in how much time it gives you to exist inside its world. With a full 12 hours of narrative breathing room on the first day and an additional handful of hours the following day, there’s space for something beautiful to occur: an emotional connection with characters that builds slowly and quietly, then hits you all at once. Characters' true intentions simmer beneath the surface of every interaction, their motivations remain murky for most of the day, and you might spend hours in the world before their masks begin to slip.  In lieu of a pre-written script, the show's cast have instead studied a 40-page-long document and spreadsheet, which has character archetypes, motivations and potential outcomes for shows clearly outlined. This loose structure allows the audience's decisions, whatever they may be, to steer the story in whichever way they decide and allows the cast to respond to those choices on the fly with improvised dialogue and scenes. One such improvised scene that’s stuck with us came over dinner, in a moment between Dee and a fellow guest. Earlier in the day, those aligned with PRISMA had been asked to uncover the precise question Dee needed to ask as part of a ritual scheduled for a few hours’ time. In between courses, a theory to that question was posed, loaded with meaning and painfully direct. It tied directly into Dee's past and cut to the core of their character's motivations for returning to Treowen. Without a moment to think, Carding delivered a response so unfiltered and heartfelt, it felt like a dagger to the heart. The mask had slipped; we understood their pain, and every prior interaction we'd had with Dee was reframed in an instant. Photo: Lemon Difficult The show's durational nature also allows ample time for the relationships between fellow guests to mature. Helped in large part by the communal meals and common goal of trying to get to the bottom of exactly what's going on within the house, everyone is more than willing to work together, share information and fill each other in on the backstory they've missed out on while investigating elsewhere. As multiple story strains started coming to a head, guests ran around the house trying to find one another to make sure no one missed out on the big revelations, and by the evening, nearly everyone was on a familiar, first-name basis with the rest of the expedition crew. Once night falls upon Treowen, things take a darker turn. Down by the pond, something macabre has been recovered from the water. On the top floor of the house, there has been a revelation involving a music box, and someone is chanting in tongues. In the cellar of the building, hooded figures stand in a circle, preparing to take part in a cult ritual, and hushed whispers are coming from behind a trapdoor on the first-floor landing. Photo: Lemon Difficult As tension continues to build with every passing hour, guests find themselves scattered throughout the house for late-night meetings. As the clock approaches 11pm, things reach their climax. An improvised confrontation between Carter and Dee (whose body has now been taken over by an otherworldly being) does little to release the tension in the air but offers an ending point for the day's experience, some 11 hours after guests first walked through the doors of Treowen. With a new day comes the final hours of The Key of Dreams. As everyone tucks into breakfast in the Banquet Hall, word reaches the expedition party that the house has once again changed with new sets of puzzles and cryptexes. There's a final opportunity to mop up any leftover story strains, and more importantly, a collective decision must be made that will impact either Carter or Dee in a major way. Given that The Key of Dreams lasts 24 hours, the price of attending is admittedly a lot higher than what you'd typically pay for any other immersive experience. Starting at £450 per person without accommodation (which ranges from £350 to £700 per room), a visit for two people will easily cost you over £1000. While that's a considerable amount of money to spend on anything other than a mortgage payment, it's absolutely worth it. With 15+ hours of narrative to throw yourself into, outstanding performances from the cast, all meals included, and the chance to spend the night in such a beautiful setting, it's arguably remarkable value for money, especially when compared to shows like The Burnt City, which would be upwards of £100+ for VIP tickets and ran for a (in this context..) measly three hours. While in real life, no supernatural creatures or otherworldly beings are actually exerting their influence over those at Treowen for the 24 hours in which The Key of Dreams exists there, there’s certainly magic at play. It's one of the best immersive experiences on offer anywhere in the world today, and those who attend can’t help but fall under its spell. ★★★★★ The Key of Dreams runs at Treowen, just outside of Monmouth, Wales, on selected dates across 2025. Tickets are priced from £450.00 per person, excluding accommodation. For more info and to book tickets, visit thekeyofdreams.co.uk For more reviews of immersive experiences like The Key of Dreams, check out our recent Reviews .

Photo: Ludens Theatre Company Danny Romeo (Experience Director at Phantom Peak and Founding Director of Ludens Theatre Company ) is set to host an immersive theatre intensive workshop this summer, designed to teach aspiring immersive creators, designers, directors, and performers how to create their own work and carve a path for themselves within the immersive industry. Across 10 weeks, students will learn foundational immersive theory, devising and writing techniques, improvisational acting, community development, writing and structure techniques, facilitation, and introductory business strategies for launching their own productions. The class will culminate in a showcase, where students will perform a work-in-progress showing of an original immersive production they've designed from conceptualisation to execution for a public audience. The course will take place at Theatre Deli near Liverpool Street/Aldgate every Monday evening between 7-9pm from 14th July, and conclude on 15th September. While the course is open to students of all skill levels, some experience of attending or participating in immersive theatre is recommended. Photo: Ludens Theatre Company A leader in the global immersive industry, Danny has created and worked with award-winning immersive productions around the world. He began his immersive career working with Punchdrunk 's industry-defining Sleep No More in New York, and has since gone on to become the Experience Designer and Experience Director for The League of Adventure's Phantom Peak for eight seasons of the show, and is also the Founding Director of Ludens Theatre Company, which won the AGITATE! Grant for Terraforming Mars . Photo: Ludens Theatre Company Alongside this, Danny is also a higher education instructor, developing and teaching immersive and interactive theatre workshops and modules at universities across the UK. He has taught at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Norwich University of the Arts, University for the Creative Arts, and the Institute for Contemporary Theatre. Speaking to Immersive Rumours about the immersive theatre intensive workshop, Danny Romeo had the following to say: The idea behind this intensive course is to offer an access point for newcomers to the industry. The immersive industry is expanding, and there's currently a gap between highly-funded blockbuster productions and scrappy start-ups with big ideas. I feel like we need more diversity of work across the industry to keep pushing the boundaries of the art form, keep audiences interested, engaged with the industry, and provide more access for underrepresented community members. My hope for this course is to empower new creators to carve out a path for themselves in this burgeoning industry and provide them with the tools to tell their own stories. Photo: Ludens Theatre Company The course is priced at £350 for 10 weeks (£35 per week) and includes access to a performance venue at Theatre Deli during the final showcase. To find out more and apply, visit ludenstheatrecompany.com

Sage & Jester, a groundbreaking new arts production company, have today announced the world premiere of STOREHOUSE, an ambitious, immersive production that will challenge your sense of truth and trust. Opening on Wednesday 4th June at Deptford Storehouse in London, the show is set to be one of the most artistically daring and large-scale immersive theatre shows in the UK this year. Photo: Sage & Jester STOREHOUSE will invite audiences to step into a world where humanity's stories have been carefully archived since 1983, at the dawn of the internet. As audiences navigate a rich and awe-inspiring underworld, they'll confront the powers that shape everyday narratives and question their own role and behaviours within society. The production, which is set across a space equivalent to two football fields, will throw audiences into a battle between the defenders of Truth and the keepers of Order. As the STOREHOUSE crumbles and secrets unfold, the true cost of controlling the narrative will be revealed, urging audiences to examine their vulnerability in the face of power. Fusing art, technology, and cutting-edge storytelling, this immersive theatre show will have audiences question how they can protect themselves—and others—from being manipulated by powerful forces within this digital information ecosystem. The event's description is as follows: Step inside STOREHOUSE, a bold new immersive theatre experience that will leave you questioning everything you think you know about truth and trust. Hidden within a vast warehouse – once the paper store of Britain’s most influential newspapers, you’ll uncover a sprawling, ever-shifting archive. Now used by an underground collective to house all the digital information ever shared – every news story, message, and meme is being meticulously stored in a quest for a higher collective wisdom. But as narratives begin to clash and compete, and with their last remaining founder fading fast, a successor is desperately needed. Someone must decide what’s preserved, what’s rewritten and what’s destroyed… Are you ready to take a stand? Led by Founder and Concept Creator Liana Patarkatsishvili , Creative Director Sophie Larsmon and Lead Producer Rosalyn Newbery , STOREHOUSE brings together an award-winning team of writers, designers, and artists. The creative team includes Story Producer Donnacadh O'Brian (Operation Mincemeat, Southwark Playhouse/Riverside Studios) and co-writers Tristan Bernays (Boudica, The Globe), Sonali Bhattacharyya (King Troll, New Diorama), Kathryn Bond (IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE, IT’S TRUE, Barbican Theatre), Katie Lyons (Peaky Blinders: The Rise, Caryn Mandabach Productions), Caro Murphy (Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser) and Rhik Samadder (The Indian Boy, The Globe). Production design is by Alice Helps (Lost Origin, Almeida Theatre and Factory 42), with costume design by Julie Belinda Landau (Wishmas, Secret Cinema), lighting design by Ben Donoghue (Ezra Collective, Wembley Stadium, UK Tour) and sound design by James Bulley (Distortions in Spacetime, Museum of Science and Industry). Liana Patarkatsishvili, Sophie Larsmon, Alice Helps and Zoe Snow Photos: Laura Lewis STOREHOUSE will take place in Deptford Storehouse, over a 9,000 square metre space, which was once used as the paper store for News International, now known as News UK. The vast set is derived in large part from raw, organic and bio materials, ensuring an eco-conscious experience. Sage & Jester was founded by Liana Patarkatsishvili, a Georgian-born media executive and cultural innovator with extensive experience in the television and arts sectors. She envisions STOREHOUSE as a catalyst for critical thinking about information consumption and its impact on society. Speaking on STOREHOUSE, Liana Patarkatsishvili comments: My whole life has been inextricably linked with the media and information ecosystem. I have witnessed firsthand the systemic impact of manipulated information on a personal, national and international level. With this awareness comes the need to share that insight and take steps to affect change. Sage & Jester’s Creative Researcher Aoife van Linden Tol comments: Our work at Sage & Jester is informed by extensive and rigorous research, ensuring that we have an in-depth understanding of the issues in information ecosystems. We have conducted years of desk research as well as original data collection, allowing us to gather important insights about how susceptible our audiences are to misinformation and how it affects beliefs, behaviour and decision-making, particularly around the major issues of our time. We then weave this knowledge into the creative process, providing checks and balances to ensure we are encouraging behavioural change that aligns with our mission. STOREHOUSE runs from 4th June to 20th September at Deptford Storehouse. Tickets are priced from £27.50. For more information and to book tickets, visit sageandjester.com