Search Results

Santa is holed up in his favourite watering hole, and is lacking in Christmas spirit. Can we save Christmas and get him back on his sleigh, or has he hung up his boots for good? Immersive Rumours received complimentary tickets to this show and as such, are disclosing this information before  our review. They have had no input in the below and all thoughts are our own. Photo: Grant Walker Humbug - a brand-new immersive Christmas dive bar, has just opened its door beneath Waterloo Station for the festive season. Running until 6th January 2024, the experience is a booze-fuelled evening of festive cheer, sing-a-longs and immersive elements. If you're looking for a Christmas-themed night out with friends or colleagues, or are sick of visiting Winter Wonderland for the umpteenth time, this is a great alternative. We were recently invited down to opening night to check out the experience and share our thoughts - a huge thank you to Hero Social  for the invitation. Photos: Grant Walker Humbug lies behind an unassuming door at the end of Leake Street - an area of London known for its elaborate graffiti-covered walls. It's a venue so well hidden that we overheard the leader of a walking tour passing by remark they 'had no idea there was even a door there' while queuing to enter. Behind the spray-painted mural of Santa lies an elaborately decorated hallway covered in wrapping paper and presents - it's a wonderful introduction to the maximalist design of the venue, which is covered head to toe in what feels like every single bit of Christmas memorabilia ever made, with sections themed around Mariah Carey, Home Alone and Wham! to name just a few. We're welcomed into Humbug by Rudy - the owner of the year-round Christmas-themed watering hole. They explain that Santa has been propping up the bar for several weeks now. Refusing to pay his bar tab, and without any of their usual Christmas spirit, it's crucial that we try and help Santa find their mojo again in order to save Christmas. Once escorted to our table and given a complimentary welcome drink (part of a VIP upgrade available when purchasing tickets), we're soon introduced to a few other patrons of the bar. Photo: Grant Walker There's Daphne - the disgruntled waitress who's long since mentally checked out of the job. With their dreams of singing for a living hampered by a fear of performing in front of an audience, they've little choice but to keep serving drinks and cleaning tables, and Howard - the bumbling mailman who has lost all the letters meant to be delivered to Santa after a few too many post-work drinks in Humbug This trio of characters make up a large part of the immersive interactions on offer throughout the evening. With guests being largely confined to their seating area for the evening, Rudy, Daphne and Howard will drop in sporadically to interact with the larger group surrounding your table. Rudy has a crush on Daphne but is unsure how to express it - at one point they workshop ideas from the crowd on how to best share their feelings. Howard will ask us to write some new letters to Santa to replenish their mailbag, and Daphne undertakes her waitressing duties with the enthusiasm of someone who's at the tail-end of a double shift. Photo: Grant Walker Every visit includes a meeting with Santa, who is holed up in a private room at the back of the venue for the first half of the evening. With a peace offering of a present, our larger group of 15 or so are invited to go and meet the main man midway through our visit. Inside, Santa shares that they're lacking in Christmas spirit this year. The workload is immense, a lot of the toys they've delivered over the years are rubbish, and everyone keeps leaving out sugary treats for him. With cries of 'Is it too much to ask for a complex carbohydrate?! Why does no one ever leave me Twiglets?!', Santa denounces the holiday season and insists on staying put. Despite the group recounting tales of their favourite childhood gifts and how much Christmas means to everyone, we're soon ejected by Santa after failing to renew their Christmas spirit. It's all pretty light-hearted fare, and all four cast members do a good job of drawing in the audience to their storylines - even if overall it's not quite enough to keep you engaged and doing things the entire time. If you go in with the understanding that it's a bar first and foremost, with a sprinkling of immersive elements on top, you'll likely walk away more satisfied. Photo: Grant Walker There's a large selection of drinks on offer for guests - from mulled wine to cocktails including The Grinch - a tropical mix of peach schnapps, blue curacao, rum and pineapple juice and Bah F***ing Humbug - oat milk, vodka, chocolate liqueur, amaretto and whipped cream topped with a mince pie. With table service throughout, you are stung with a 12.5% service charge on top of every drink order, which quickly pushes the price of a pint above £7. In the way of food offerings, there are Christmas dinner wraps (Pulled turkey, bacon, cranberry sauce, veg and gravy), loaded fries and cheesecake as well as a selection of bar snacks including pretzels, candy canes, mince pies and nuts. Photo: Grant Walker As the evening progresses, it turns out to be a group sing-a-long to Last Christmas that finally brings Santa back around. With the crowd being ushered into a main performance space, we're treated to a conclusion of the various storylines established earlier in the evening. Part cabaret, part karaoke, Santa plays the role of MC as each of the bar's patrons gets their moment in the spotlight. The letters we wrote to Santa earlier in the evening are put to good use as Santa and Howard read out some of the naughtiest and nicest things guests wrote down. While we won't be repeating it here, our answer won us some free shots at the bar and a large round of applause, amid the groans of disgust. Photo: Grant Walker Despite being light on the proper immersive elements that you might expect, Humbug is still an enjoyable evening out. It's a great activity for those looking to do something different this Christmas, especially if the entry prices of certain other food and drink-focused immersive experiences on offer in London are too eye-watering. ★★★ ½ Humbug runs in Waterloo until 6th January 2024. For more information, and to book visit humbugchristmas.co.uk . Tickets start from £29.50, with VIP upgrades and add-ons available.

After almost a year of silence COLAB Theatre - the immersive theatre company behind shows including The West and Crooks 1926 return later this month with the premiere of The Descent, a one-of-a-kind Greek myth experience set to thrill and terrify audiences this Halloween. Described as a 'journey through the Underworld, where visitors will embark upon a harrowing journey into the unknown', the show will see a limited group of only 20 guests per performance travel with Orpheus on a treacherous journey to the underworld to find his love, Eurydice. It will be an intimate, highly intense experience that will test audience's trust and courage. COLAB Theatre have previously run a series of immersive horror experiences including Echoes (2021), Flicker (2020) and Silence (2019). Artistic Director Bertie Watkins comments... Immersive theatre has the potential to create the ultimate Halloween thrill. We created The Descent to push the boundaries of immersive horror and plunge our audience into the aftermath of an Ancient Greek Myth. Audiences will experience an intimate, up-close, and personal journey, whilst influencing the narrative. The Descent will run from Friday 20th October to Saturday 18th November 2023 at COLAB Bankside. Tickets start at £28 and can be booked via colabtheatre.co.uk

The cast for the upcoming production of 1984: A Unique Immersive Experience has been confirmed. Officially opening on 26th October at Hackney Town Hall, the show is an immersive staging of the dystopian George Orwell novel and will be in previews from the 19th October. The show is co-directed by Richard Hahlo and Jem Wall - co-founders of Hydrocracker Theatre, who create immersive site-specific productions including The New World Order (Brighton Festival, Barbican and Shoreditch Town Hall), The Erpingham Camp (Brighton Festival on Brighton Pier), Shakespeare à La Carte (Brighton Festival and BBC Radio 4), Operation Black Antler with Blast Theory (Brighton Festival, Manchester HOME and Southbank Centre) and Who Cares 2032 (Northampton Royal & Derngate). The show has been adapted for the stage by Adam Taub, who is the founder of Pure Expression, an immersive theatre company that reimagine classic stories in unique environments including libraries, museums and civic spaces. Previous productions include Frankenstein (UK and US tour), Einstein’s Brain (Grant Museum of Zoology) and The Animated Museum (Jewish Museum in Camden). Declan Rodgers (Antigone, Lyric Theatre) will be playing Winston along Kit Reeveas Julia, and Jude Akuwudike (Three Sisters, The Overwhelming, Edmond, The Machine Wreckers, Richard II, Ion and Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, National Theatre) as O'Brien. Writer Adam Taub comments on the production, saying the following... The show is directed by Richard and Jem from Hydrocracker Theatre who specialise in creating site-specific and immersive work and have collaborated extensively with major theatre festivals creating work that really moves and challenges audiences. In Jude, Kit and Declan they have a superbly talented core of actors that have captivated audiences across the theatre and film world. And with an ensemble cast drawn from drama schools across London, we have a really exciting company and we can’t wait for the opening night. 1984: A Unique Immersive Experience opens for previews on 19th October and runs until 26th November. For more information visit immersive1984.com

Rumble In The Jungle Rematch, the upcoming Canada Water based immersive experience that will recreate the iconic fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman has announced their cast list. Opening in September 2023, this is the second show from Rematch - who previously mounted Wimbledon Rematch 1980 in Wembley Park. Promising to transport audiences back to both the Rumble In The Jungle fight, and the Zaire '74 Festival - which saw acts including James Brown, BB King and Bill Withers perform. The experience will feature live music, food and drink and a recreation of the iconic fight to round off the experience. Sharing the role of Muhammad Ali will be Akil Young and Kimane Juneau - who will both play the iconic boxer due to 'the physical nature of the performance'. Alexander Ajuwon and Joshua C. Jackson - who recently played Joseph Scott in Girl from the North Country, will also share the roles of George Foreman and Joe Frazier. Don King will be played by Elliot Rodriguez, who portrayed Isaiah Jesus in Peaky Blinders: The Rise. Additionally, Guy Kelton-Jones will be playing James Brown, and Max Krupski, who has previously played Jay Gatsby in The Immersive Great Gatsby and the title character in Secret Cinema's Dr. Strangelove. The Zaire '74 Festival will be brought to life by a group of musicians including Rick Leon James, Ezekiel Adje, Laura Impallomeni and Chuks Chiejine. See below for the full cast list... FULL CAST LIST: Akil Young – Muhammad Ali/Duane Charles Kimane Juneau – Muhammad Ali/Duane Charles Alexander Ajuwon – George Foreman/Joe Frazier Joshua C. Jackson – George Foreman/Joe Frazier Safi-Veliora Omar – Promesse Kabamba Nathan Bartman – Evangelos Mboyo Oluwatosin Omotosho – Malaika Tshibola Jacie Kibuka – Constance Nzuzi Elliot Rodriguez – Don King Max Krupski – Stewart Levine/Angelo Dundee Anelisa Lamola – Miriam Makeba Juanita Euka – Celia Cruz Guy Kelton-Jones – James Brown Michael Bunga – Alain ‘Alo’ Kabamba/President Mobutu Randall Alleyne – Bundini Brown McCallam Connell – Dick Sadler Kossim Osseni – Sese Terence Nzaji-Egnie – Mumba/Zac Clayton Tim O’Hara – David Frost Vivien-Chrys Samba – Pierre Ngalamulume Eden Dominique – Josslyn Carter Rick Leon James – Musician, Percussion (MD) Ezekiel Adje – Musician, Bass Laura Impallomeni – Musician, Trombone Chuks Chiejine – Musician, Guitar The show is directed by Miguel Hernando Torres Umba, written by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, and features original music by Femi Temowo. Rumble In The Jungle Rematch opens on 13th September with previews from 8th September at Dock X in Canada Water. For more information visit rumbleinthejunglerematch.com

An immersive staging of 1984 - the classic dystopian George Orwell novel, will open in Hackney Town Hall later this year and will see the historic venue become the Ministry of Truth for a limited run. Audience members will be dressed in blue overalls of 'an outer party member' and be under the scrutiny of the Though Police as they progress through Victory Square and the Ministry of Truth, before ending up in the prole district, where the Ministry doesn't wield much control, to reflect on their experiences. The audience will later take their seats within Hackney Town Hall's Council Chamber - with ticket prices reflecting the different seating options available. 1984 is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell. It follows the story of Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the Outer Party in Oceana, who struggles against the oppression enacted upon him and society. In an act of defiance, he begins to express his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with a colleague named Julia - actions that ultimately lead to their eventual downfall at the hands of the party. The show, which has the approval of the Orwell Estate, is being produced by Pure Expression, and is to be directed by Richard Hahlo and Jem Wall. While no cast has yet been announced, the 75-minute long show will run at Hackney Town Hall from 19th October to 26th November. Historic Experiences has the following on its website concerning the show: Set in a 'post-truth' world, elements of circular narrative will contradict to disorientate and reinforce the transitory nature of truth as we explore the key locations of the classic novel. We expect the show to have both a strong visceral and intellectual impact on guests who may feel a sense of catharsis after their dystopian ordeal, but who will also be left more attuned to the dangers of 'newspeak', 'alternative facts’ and more conscious of the value of democracy itself. The audience will leave feeling they have had both a great night out and an acute warning - that the gap between today’s post-truth environment and the erosion of democracy is not so very far from the world of Big Brother… Tickets start from £17.50. For more information, visit immersive1984.com

Wishmas, a new original experience from the creative team behind Secret Cinema is set to open later this year at 'The Old Bauble Factory' at The Vaults, below Waterloo Station. With an opening date of 14th November 2023, this immersive experience will allow visitors to 'see first-hand what happens to your wonderful wishes and follow them on their magical journey to Father Christmas' and will run for 8 weeks until 7th January 2024. The official description of the event is: Ever wondered where all of your wishes go? For as long as there have been wishes, there has been Wishmas, an enchanted world where wishes take flight. For those who believe, the portal to Wishmas opens its doors for a twinkle in time during the most magical season: Christmas. Wishmas is a fully immersive winter-time experience for all the family. Discover magical realms and meet out-of-this-world characters. See first-hand what happens to your wonderful wishes and follow them on their magical journey to Father Christmas as you share the joy of Wishmas. Secret Cinema was acquired by TodayTix in September 2022 for reportedly more than $100million. Their President and Co-Founder, Merritt Baer, has said the following alongside the announcement of Wishmas: Secret Cinema has been bringing to life fantastical worlds based on beloved films and TV series for over 15 years. Inspired by these cinematic stories, incredible characters, and unforgettable moments, over the years the team has dreamt up countless stories of our own that we’ve always wanted to bring to life. Now, following the acquisition of Secret Cinema by TodayTix Group, we have the platform to be able to make this a reality. With our world-class creative team, we’ve set our sights on Christmas and taking audiences on a magical journey to the heart of our new world… Wishmas. Prepare for a spectacular snow-filled show with a sensational seasonal story and, of course, a sprinkling of secret surprises too… Tickets for Wishmas will be on general sale from 10am on Thursday 15th June via wishmas.co.uk with prices starting from £49.

Rematch, the creators of 2019's 'Wimbledon 1980 Rematch' are returning later this year for their second immersive show - Rumble in the Jungle Rematch, in Canada Water, London. Trailer for Rumble in the Jungle Rematch. Based on the iconic fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali that took place in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974, the 3-hour immersive experience will culminate in a recreation of the match that will likely incorporate archive footage, video projections and more to immerse visitors into the match. Rematch's previous show - Wimbledon 1980 Rematch, saw them recreate the Men's Final match between Borg and McEnroe at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in 2019. Get a feel for the experience below.... Aftermovie for Wimbledon Rematch 1980. The show runs from 14th September to 10th December at DockX in Canada Water. Tickets for Rumble in the Jungle Rematch are on sale now, starting at £19.74 for preview performances, and £69.50 for regular performances.

ScreamWorks, the immersive company behind Bloodbath - an immersive horror house experience that we reviewed earlier this year, return in October with their second show - The Ghost Hunt. For a limited run between 6th-31st October, ScreamWorks invites you to discover the truth behind a gruesome murder-suicide at their Bethnal Green venue. Perfect for this Halloween season, we've no doubt that ScreamWorks will deliver one of the capitals scariest immersive experiences. The official synopsis is below... In October 1937, a gruesome murder-suicide claimed the lives of all but one member of the Luff family; the body of Arthur, the youngest of the Luff’s three children, was never found. Also missing was Mr Wu, a mysterious lodger who, records show, had only moved into the house a few months prior. While various theories have been proffered to explain how a once happy family found themselves at the centre of this macabre massacre, only their ghosts know what really happened on that fateful day. Under the expert guidance of seasoned ghost hunter and paranormal investigator, Heston Phoenix, explore the haunted corridors of this now abandoned house, relive the Luff family’s final moments and discover for yourselves the secrets that have remained hidden within these dark walls for almost a century. Tickets are available now via theghosthunt.co.uk. Prices start at £45 for standard tickets, with a VIP upgrade available for an additional £10pp. There's also a 41% discount for earlybird tickets, which are only available for the first 1000 tickets booked. ScreamWorks are also opening a family-friendly show, Ghost Detectives, taking place at the same venue between 14th-29th October. For more information, visit ghostdetectives.co.uk