Photo: Cole Crawford exit strategy's How to Win a Gameshow, which comes to Edinburgh Fringe this August, is a participatory show that follows Graham, who has spent an indeterminate amount of time trapped as a contestant inside a bizarre game show. The show explores our own capacities for complicity under observation, our impulses as a group and as individuals, and our presumed anonymity in theatrical, social, and technological spaces. Blending the entertainment inherent in game shows with improvisation and audience interaction, the show turns spectators into active participants as it explores surveillance, conformity, complicity, and challenges the expectation that audience members can ever be passive observers in theatrical space. Ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe run, we caught up with one of exit strategy's founding members, MaryKate Glenn, to talk about the creation of How To Win A Gameshow, the relationship between audiences and live performance, and the strong reactions the show has generated during previews in New York City. Immersive Rumours: Hi MaryKate! Thanks for speaking with us today. To kick things off, do you mind telling us a bit about exit strategy and your approach to making theatre? MaryKate Glenn: exit strategy is a multi-disciplinary, New York City-based performance collective investigating the role of the audience in live performance. We were founded by me, Rupert Krüger, and Jane Skapek, and we draw on the founding members’ respective backgrounds in dance, martial arts, and visual composition. As a collective, we ground our research interests in themes of surveillance, the absurd, conformity, violence, humor, cruelty, and our ability to hold all of these realities simultaneously as one. exit strategy is a company made up largely of physical performers - though so far our work has skewed much more image-based than physical choreography. The concepts for Gameshow specifically grew almost completely out of these images. For example, a giant red timer, a bowl full of Jolly Ranchers, a handheld microphone, a man alone writing postcards at a desk, a bejeweled cowboy hat... these images all fed the initial inspiration for Gameshow, and using tools many of our company members learned from physical devising companies such as The Useless Room or Frantic Assembly, we began to piece together these image montages into a structure that was built to affect, involve, and implicate the audience in a specific way. Our collaboration in the room is wholly non-hierarchical. We argue a lot, write a lot on giant pieces of paper, throw out absurd ideas, and more often than not decide to incorporate them, and generally operate by a ‘best idea wins’ or ‘let's just try it and see’ approach. Photo: The Garrett Theatre Immersive Rumours: Your show, How To Win A Gameshow, is heading to Edinburgh Fringe this August. In a few words, can you tell us about the role the audience plays within it? MaryKate Glenn: The audience is THE central component of the show and the reason it happens at all! You'll have to come to understand why… Immersive Rumours: Amongst other themes, the show asks whether audiences can be passive observers within theatre. What first drew you to that idea, and how is it explored in the show? MaryKate Glenn: We were very inspired by the work of American performance artist Ann-Liv Young - an incredible boundary-pushing artist whose work wholly upends the relationship between audience and performer. It was after seeing her piece ‘Marie Antoinette’ that we, as makers, really began to rethink the justification for LIVE theatre. How can we earn an audience's attention and presence in a world of screens and constant media onslaught? What can truly differentiate live theater from a movie or streaming series? The answer, of course, is that all of our bodies are together in space, so how can we center that, honor that, and capitalize on that to create a potent emotional and intellectual experience for performers and audience alike? Gone, for the most part, are the days when a standard kitchen sink drama is drama or the proscenium structure is enough to hold an audience's presence. I even think about going to see Shakespeare in the Park, here in NYC or at the Globe in London. I had a distinct experience of a woman at Shakespeare in the Park (a free, outdoor, prestigious summer theatrical event in NYC) shushing me and my friend when we reacted too vocally to a production of Richard III a few years ago. Why do we feel like we have to do this? Why can't we all confront together that we’re live humans having emotional responses in real time to the other live humans in front of us? What a unique thing - let's lean into it. Immersive Rumours: How did How To Win A Gameshow first come to be, and how has it evolved since it was first conceived? MaryKate Glenn: Our initial residency was with Triplets Amsterdam at the Broedplaats Bouw Arts Center, and we toured Gameshow’s first draft to 4bid Gallery at 0t301 and Dijke Theater in the Netherlands. Thematically, it was still in its infancy, but we explored themes of absurdity and the ‘quotidian uncanny’ - simple gestures and behaviors that make the audience feel something is not quite right. Tonally, the piece is inspired by work like Twin Peaks and Severance - art that asks the viewer to consider what might be absurd and horrifying about the everyday. This quickly expanded into questions and explorations of auto-surveillance: how do we comply in advance with everyday forms of surveillance, and how do people behave differently under perceived (and real) observation? Photo: The Garrett Theatre Immersive Rumours: What has the audience reaction to the show been like so far? MaryKate Glenn: It's been vast and varied. When we performed an earlier iteration in Europe last year, it was largely to movement and dance spaces that I think didn't quite know what to do with it. They were locked in for sure - we had people come multiple times to different venues - but I think it was very different from other work they were used to seeing. Some of our methods are perhaps slightly more familiar to New York audiences, but our initial approach of image-based associative storytelling, as opposed to traditional narrative building, seemed to really hook people in an interesting way. Some feedback we've gotten that we're proud of from the version a year ago and our New York preview this past weekend described it as ‘wonderfully unnerving', ‘so stressful I wanted to leave’, and someone said that they felt like at any point they would be taken out back and shot. Of course, no one is getting shot - we're not that American, don't worry! Photo: The Garrett Theatre Immersive Rumours: Finally, how are you feeling ahead of taking the show to Edinburgh, and what are you most looking forward to during this year's festival? MaryKate Glenn: We are so tired already but so excited and grateful for the chance to workshop this piece sixteen times. As you'll see, it's nearly impossible to rehearse the show without an audience. Even during our preview weekend here in New York, we'd changed the ending by the final show. So we are excited to test out and experiment with different ways to create this experience… exit strategy's How to Win a Gameshow runs at Lower Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9) between 7th and 15th August, and Venue 45 at theSpace @ Venue 45 between 17th and 22nd August 2026. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com Immersive Rumours will be at the Edinburgh Fringe this August. See our pre-festival coverage here.

Rydell High is bigger than ever, but a lack of interaction leaves the audience on the outside looking in. Photo: Matt Crockett Tucked away between the trees of Battersea Park is a little slice of American pie. Rydell High School has traveled from the American 50’s to give immersive theatregoers a taste of the malted and sugar-coated past, complete with hair grease, lindy hops, and leather jackets in Secret Cinema’s second remounting of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical. And while there is no doubt that the energetic approach to this classic musical is a toe-tapping crowd-pleaser, a lack of attention to the company’s immersive roots leaves the audience feeling Alone at the Drive-In. Secret Cinema has had a wild few years. With the sale to TodayTix in 2022, the company has understandably gone through some soul-searching, taking time to redefine their brand and approach to creating immersive experiences. During that period, they’ve leaned on an old reliable production - Grease - to keep some cash flowing while they lay new foundations. And what a foundation it will be. The company has announced a new flagship venue in Greenwich, which plans to open in early 2027 with one of the company’s most ambitious immersive adaptations to date, Pirates of the Caribbean. But these restructures have also impacted the company’s approach to its artistic endeavors, with their productions becoming less interactive and intimate and more focused on mass appeal and spend per head over recent years. Where there once were sweeping stories in the style of Phantom Peak or The Key of Dreams, which involved hacking computers, uncovering secret back rooms, and interacting with characters; now audiences are largely relegated to the sidelines, only invited into the action for momentary scenes and being told exactly what to do every step of the way. It’s a departure from the formats that made the company legends of the industry, guiding them dangerously close to the more corporate offerings of projector installations and pop-up brand experiences. And while the sets and performances are still top-notch, the vision and spirit of the productions have changed, and the question has to be asked - who is this for? Audiences arrive to a carnival outside of Rydell High, mimicking the final scene of Grease in which Danny and Sandy dance across fun houses and midway games. Iconic attractions like the Shake Shack and the fun house from the movie are available for audiences to try for themselves, along with other classic offerings like a ferris wheel, swings, and roll-a-ball derby games. There is also a large movie screen designed to look like a billboard which plays classic American ads from the 50s, including the Ipana “Brusha Brusha Brusha” commercial parodied at Frenchie’s sleepover in the film. The sets and sounds capture the energy and excitement of a state fair, capitalism and all. Each attraction costs a varying amount of tokens (10 tokens cost £10), so be prepared to shell out if you want to join in the fun. There are also several bars to purchase cocktails, food stalls to purchase a burger or hot dog, and merch booths to purchase mock leather T-Bird or Pink Lady jackets in case you left yours at home. In fact, there isn’t a single thing to do during the hour and a half pre-show experience that isn’t an extra cost. And while it seems fair that audiences should pay a small fee to fund the rides’ rental costs, it stings to realize that the base ticket price doesn’t cover any entertainment across such a significant portion of the experience. Photo: Danny Kaan (From 2025's edition of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical) The true experience begins as the 1978 film plays its romantic prologue on the billboard at the fair. As the film transitions away from its sun-soaked shores and into the title sequence, live actors take over from the movie’s soundtrack. Audiences are ushered through Rydell’s front doors and into an enormous multi-purpose space. In the centre of the room is a raised stage in the round, with large movie screens positioned above it playing the original film. At the front of the room, another stage is decorated for a live filming of American Bandstand, complete with a live band playing along with the actors’ singing. The rest of the space is themed after the Frosty’s Malt Shop, a Drive-In Theatre, and Rydell’s auto shop, with the vast majority of the space dominated by tables for premium ticket holders. There is a large amount of space between the central stage and the other themed spaces for audiences with standing room tickets to move between the areas, creating a moat between the main seating and the action of the play. As a baseline, Grease is a cinema experience. The film plays on the overhead screens, and audiences watch from their themed seats (or from the peanut gallery). But at key moments, especially around the film’s musical numbers, a live cast performs the scenes and songs with the film continuing in the background. In between these live scenes, small groups of audiences are selected to engage with short mini-scenes to flesh out the theme and atmosphere of the movie. Several audience members are led by Coach in simple sports drills, another group of audience members are taught a cheerleading chant, and during the pinnacle Prom dance, audience members are invited to mingle with the cast members on the dance floor. As a musical, Secret Cinema’s take on Grease is stellar. The cast are phenomenally talented, filling out a difficult venue with energy and charm at every turn. Giórgios Michaelídes swaggers through his scenes and songs as Danny, and Lucy Penrose’s Rizzo has a powerhouse performance in both “Look at Me, I’m Sandre Dee” and “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”. But Stephanie Costi steals the show as Sandy, rivaling even Olivia Newton-John in both vocals and magnetism. Her naïve and hopeful approach to the character is anything but meek, and in an experience which vies for the audience’s attention in every different direction all at once, she anchors the performance with her commanding presence and charismatic charm. Photo: Matt Crockett The design is impressive as well, meshing several snapshots from the film into an interwoven space that jumps from scene to scene. The set design (Tom Rogers) expertly captures the youthful and rebellious energy of the time period, and navigates the magically iconic set piece moments of the film with flair (the flying car from “Greased Lightnin’” is a particular highlight). The costumes (Susan Kulkarni) are also inventive, matching the look of the film but also adapting the themes to fit the unique needs of this reimagined production. However, the beating heart of the show is Jennifer Weber’s choreography, which builds on the film’s classic aesthetic and injects a more modern Kenny Ortega-style energy into the movements. The audience audibly gasped at key moments during the Prom sequence, and the entire ensemble is meticulously in sync and endlessly energetic. Much of the production fights to drag the audience’s attention away from the screens, and Weber’s design is what makes the show truly feel alive. If this production were simply a musical on a more traditional stage, this review would be nothing but positive, and would give the show a five-star rating. But the “Musical” aspect is only one third of Secret Cinema’s “Immersive Movie Musical”. The “Movie” aspect, which the entire production uses as the foundation to build off of, is more of a distraction than a backbone. While it is helpful for the film to take over segues between scenes and fill the moments needed to set up for the next live performance segment, it actively distracts from everything else in the room. It’s difficult to focus on the live actors or the gorgeous sets when the film is playing overhead, and it’s even more difficult to pull the audience’s attention away from those screens when it’s time for the live performance to take over. This has worked better in previous Secret Cinema productions where actors could step in front of the screens to steal the audience’s attention back, but here it feels difficult to know where to look. But it’s the “Immersive” element that falls shortest, which should be Secret Cinema’s strongest aspect. The layout of the venue creates a visible barrier between the audience and the performance. There’s a clear line drawn between “on stage” and “off stage”, and while actors occasionally cross this line, the overwhelming majority of the performance takes place in an area that the audience is not allowed to impede on. Photo: Matt Crockett The moments of audience interaction are fleeting, and are scripted down to the second. This is in part because the cast need to time their performances to the film playing overhead, but there are moments when the film pauses for the cast to move into flexible periods (which allow for costume changes, additional songs, and preparation for major tech moments). Gone are the intimate moments where audiences could speak to their favorite characters from the film, possibly to get a quest or simply to spend some time living within the world of the show. The actors (many of whom are from a West End background rather than an immersive one) don’t even have time for a quick “hello” as they rush past to get changed for their next scene. All of this combines to create a feeling of the audience being on the outside looking in. This feeling might be reminiscent of some high school experiences, but not in a good way. Even when audiences are placed on stage next to the cast members, the cast are frequently performing for the non-diegetic audience rather than engaging with the audience members who have stepped into their world. In one particular scene, audiences were brought on stage to dance casually while the cast performed a choreographed number around them that was too complex to pick up organically, leaving the on-stage audience to feel like extras at best, or uncoordinated outcasts at worst. It came across as unwelcoming, even in the guided dance segments later on where audiences were relegated back to the ground floor. The production seems to have an identity problem. It’s incredibly difficult to seamlessly merge three different formats of performance, and Secret Cinema hasn’t quite threaded that needle. Instead, because Secret Cinema haven’t offered audiences the opportunity to effectively participate in the world they’ve created, their production feels more akin to a very high-budget theatre-in-the-round performance. It’s a perfectly valid and effective form of theatre, but it isn’t immersive. Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical is overall an energetic and entertaining experience with undeniably talented and passionate artists at the helm. But it never quite amounts to more than the sum of its parts. The disengagement and oversight of the audience’s presence is a worrying sign, and hopefully isn’t indicative of Secret Cinema’s future. However, much like Danny and Sandy at the end of the film, Secret Cinema has a bright future ahead of it. Here’s hoping that, like Sandy, they realize they didn’t need to change the best parts of themselves in order to make their fans happy. ★★★ [Tickets provided in exchange for an honest review] Words: Danny Romeo Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical runs in Battersea Park until 13th September 2026. Tickets are priced from £34.00 per person. For more info and to book tickets, visit greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com For more reviews of immersive experiences like Secret Cinema's Grease, check out our recent Reviews.

Image: BATSU! Presents GANBA!! Cult hit BATSU! has been a Fringe favourite for several years now. A high-energy comedy game show in which comedians compete to avoid receiving creative and often painful punishments, it's the kind of late-night Fringe show that draws in a crowd who are game for anything, and has enjoyed huge success with permanent residencies in New York and Chicago and a sold-out run at the festival in 2025. For 2026, the creative team behind BATSU! will debut GANBA!!, an energetic interactive ninja training show for families. Through sword training, physical comedy, martial arts, water fights and audience participation, young warriors will test their focus, agility, teamwork and courage through a series of hilarious challenges as they train to defeat the Batsu no Akuma (Spirit of Punishment). Ahead of its Edinburgh Fringe run, we caught up with one of the show's co-creators, Jay Painter, to talk about expanding the world of BATSU!, creating an experience that puts families front and centre, and the spirit of encouragement that sits at the heart of GANBA!!. Photo: Jay Painter - one of the co-creators of BATSU! and BATSU! presents GANBA!! Immersive Rumours: Hi Jay. Thanks for speaking with us today. Many Fringe-goers will already know about your late-night cult favourite, BATSU!, but this August you're bringing a brand-new family-friendly show to the Edinburgh Fringe. What can you tell us about GANBA!!? Jay Painter: GANBA!! is an interactive ninja-training adventure for families. The audience enters the Batsudo Dojo and becomes part of the story, training alongside our characters through challenges built around focus, teamwork, courage, imagination, and perseverance. The word ganba comes from a Japanese expression of encouragement. It carries the feeling of ‘You’ve got this’ and ‘Go for it!’. That spirit is at the heart of the show. It’s funny, physical, and very silly, but underneath all the chaos is the idea that people become braver when they encourage one another. Immersive Rumours: What can audiences (both children and grown-ups) expect to be involved with once they step into the dojo? Jay Painter: They should expect to do more than just sit quietly and watch! They’ll practice katana techniques, learn Japanese words and customs, compete in ridiculous challenges, encourage one another, and help defeat the mischievous Spirit of Batsu. Basically, they get to become demon hunters (though our mythology was around long before a certain movie!). Of course, all the involvement is optional; if anyone wants to just sit back and enjoy the adventure, that’s totally cool too. Photo: Brian 'Bu-Chan' Walters - one of the co-creators of BATSU! and BATSU! presents GANBA!! Immersive Rumours: The show is built around the idea of families training together. What made that dynamic so appealing to explore? Jay Painter: We loved the idea of the child not simply being entertained while the grown-up sits patiently beside them. In the US, when I was growing up, we had a show called Family Double Dare, where families competed as a team in silly and messy challenges. That was a big inspiration. In GANBA!!, the children and grown-ups enter the same world and experience the adventure together. Sometimes the children get encouragement from the grown-ups cheering them on; then the next moment the child is shouting encouragement to the parent. The show gives them a shared victory rather than separate experiences. Immersive Rumours: Where did the initial idea for GANBA!! come from, and how has the progress of developing it into the show audiences will see this Fringe been for you and the rest of the team? Jay Painter: GANBA!! is an extension of the BATSU!! Universe. It comes from nearly two decades of seeing how strongly audiences respond when they are invited to become part of a live event rather than just observing it. As many of us grew older, became parents and teachers, and slightly more responsible humans, we began to think about what a BATSU!-style show would look like for families. My son has been begging for a “BATSU! for Kids” show for years! However, we didn’t want to dilute BATSU! by making a cleaned-up, tamed-down version. We wanted to build a new experience around the qualities underneath the chaos: courage, commitment, play, resilience, and the joy of watching someone give everything they got to a ridiculous challenge. Photo: BATSU! Presents GANBA!! Immersive Rumours: Those who have been to BATSU! before will be aware that it’s not a family-friendly show. When developing GANBA!!, which elements of that show felt most important to carry over? Jay Painter: Well, it depends on the family! We have lots of families who say they’ve never laughed so hard together than at BATSU! - adult families, of course; definitely not children. For GANBA!!, we carried across the Japanese-inspired world, the relationship between performers and audience, the sense that anything might happen, and the belief that failure can be hilarious rather than humiliating. The Legend of BATSU! is central to the story. That long, long ago, an evil spirit wreaked havoc across the land, until some very unlikely warriors discovered the ultimate weapon: Comedy. Their antics contained the spirit, and they sealed him within the Gong of Punishment. In GANBA!!, the Spirit’s energy leaks out into the dojo. So yes, there are demon hunters, ancient evil, comedy, and heroic young warriors using their talents to defeat the bad guys. We just happened to get there about fifteen years before KPop Demon Hunters. Immersive Rumours: BATSU! has been at Edinburgh Fringe since 2023. What have been some of your highlights from previous years at the festival? Jay Painter: It’s been a real joy to watch it grow from a strange late-night show people were taking a chance on into a genuine Fringe tradition. Every performance has been incredible, but some of the most memorable moments are outside of the show itself, like seeing people wearing BATSU! merch on the street or someone recognizing us in our BATSU! cast jackets. The sense of community among the performers and theater-makers in Edinburgh is extraordinary. For one month, the Fringe seems to exist on its own magical plane, and then it disappears again, and we all go back to being Muggles. Photo: BATSU! Presents GANBA!! Immersive Rumours: Finally, how are you feeling ahead of GANBA!! debuting, and what are you most looking forward to during this year's Fringe? Jay Painter: We’re feeling pride, excitement, and of course the healthy amount of terror that comes with opening a new show. I’m most looking forward to the final moments of the show, when the entire audience has to work together. There is a point when children, parents, grandparents, performers, and complete strangers all shout GANBA!! as one enormous team. When that works, the room changes. For a few seconds, everyone believes they can defeat an evil spirit together. And, oh yeah, Edinburgh is going to get a few hundred newly trained ninjas. That's going to be pretty cool... BATSU! Presents: GANBA!! runs at Friesian at Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) from 5th to 16th August at 11:05. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com

Following a hugely successful residency earlier this year, author and illustrator Anna Llenas’ iconic children’s picture-book series, The Colour Monster, returns to FRAMELESS, London’s largest immersive art experience, with The Colour Monster Goes to School. The residency takes over FRAMELESS’ Blank Canvas Gallery for a limited four-week run from 14th August to 11th September 2026, inviting visitors to explore big feelings with a little adventure as they see the gallery transformed into a colourful, multi-sensory journey for The Colour Monster’s first day at school. A perfect family day out, the residency lets little ones and their grown-ups see the beloved series come to life around them, with Llenas’ vivid illustrations realised at full scale through a striking combination of animation, spatial sound design and colour, allowing children to step inside the book and become part of the story. At the heart of the new residency, and in a first for FRAMELESS, children become artists in the show itself. Each child colours in their own Colour Monster, choosing the colours that match how they’re feeling, before seeing their creation appear on the gallery walls. Developed so every child can see themselves within the story, this new interactive feature ensures each visit is unique and aims to reinforce creative expression and emotional connection. Starting school is a momentous occasion in children’s lives, and with big moments come even bigger feelings. Designed for children aged 3-7, The Colour Monster Goes to School at FRAMELESS aims to create a warm, creative and comforting space where families can share new experiences together and explore the excitement and curiosity that often comes with starting or returning to school. Over ten minutes, visitors will embark on a sensory-rich journey into the world of the Colour Monster as he meets new friends, discovers unfamiliar spaces and tries new things at school, helping young visitors explore their own feelings while encouraging mindfulness and reassurance through this joyful experience. The Colour Monster Goes to School runs on a continuous loop within the gallery, meaning visitors can stay and play as long as they like. Anna Llenas, illustrator and author of The Colour Monster Goes to School, said: Art is a proven powerful tool to help children navigate emotions, nervousness and stressful periods. After a thoroughly successful first residency with FRAMELESS earlier this year, it only made sense to collaborate once more and bring The Colour Monster Goes to School to life through FRAMELESS’ signature immersive storytelling, in time for the summer holidays and before many children begin their own school journey. My hope is that this gallery will create a shared space for children and their families to come together, foster a personal connection with the Colour Monster’s story and leave with a renewed sense of confidence and motivation. Creative Director of FRAMELESS, Ryan ‘Woody’ Atwood said: FRAMELESS’ mission is to make art accessible and interactive, providing a gateway for audiences - especially young budding art lovers - to feel more from the art around them. Anna Llenas’ vivid world of The Colour Monster has provided enjoyment and solace to young imaginations for ten years and, through working closely with Anna and adapting her original illustrations with our team of animators, sound designers, curators and visual artists, we’re honoured to bring a second title of the series to life in our Blank Canvas Gallery, on the tenth anniversary of the series’ first publication in the UK. There’s a moment we can’t wait to see repeated: a child spotting their own monster up on the wall for the first time. It captures everything FRAMELESS is about. Art you don’t just look at, but belong to. Anna Williamson, Relationship Expert, Psychotherapist & TV Presenter, said: As a proud advocate for mental health, I’m honoured to be working with FRAMELESS on their new experience based on Anna Llenas’ inspiring picture book, The Colour Monster Goes to School. More and more research is being published around the positive effects of engaging with art from a young age and the valuable tool it provides for children to connect with their emotions allowing them to make sense of big feelings and the world around them. Starting school or going back to school can be a challenging time for kids and this joyful experience offers a safe and empowering space for young minds and their families where they can explore their feelings alongside the Colour Monster and leave feeling more confident going into this momentous time in their lives. The Colour Monster Goes to School joins an exciting summer of programming for families at FRAMELESS. Earlier this month, the experience unveiled its newest addition to the Permanent Collection - a breathtaking interpretation of Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, now on display in the experience’s The World Around Us Gallery. FRAMELESS invites families to see the world through art this summer as they explore the experience’s four galleries, housing over 40 masterpieces from around the globe, all under one roof and all in one ticket. Families can even become the art in ‘The Art of You’, where portraits of family members can be captured and transformed into personalised artworks based on the masterpieces they’ve experienced during their visit - the perfect mementos for a family day out. Through the Government’s Summer Savings scheme, visitors can enjoy a reduced rate on tickets to FRAMELESS from 25 June - 1 September, starting from £25.81 for adults and £17.50 for children. Those visiting as a family can also book a Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children), with prices starting from £75.25 (off-peak) up to £77 (peak). Children aged 0-2 can visit for free. The Colour Monster Goes to School runs in FRAMELESS’ Blank Canvas Gallery from 14th August to 11th September 2026. For more information and to book tickets, visit frameless.com

Photo: Brite Theater The multi-award-winning creators of Richard III (a one-person show) and Timonopoly Brite Theater, return to Edinburgh Fringe this August with their audience favourite, Hamlet (an experience). An interactive and participatory adaptation of Hamlet, the show allows audience members to get up close to the prince himself as he directs them in the story of his life. Directed by Kolbrun Bjort Sigfusdottir and starring Emily Carding, the audience takes on the role of the players arriving at Elsinore, with Hamlet needing their help to assume the roles of his friends and family to help resolve the great questions of life. Journey through the play together and become immersed in the story like never before. Hamlet has the questions; do you have the answers? Previously nominated for several awards at Prague and Edinburgh Fringe, Hamlet (an experience) was one of the winners of the Fringe Encore Series and had a successful run at the Soho Playhouse off-Broadway in November 2018. Emily Carding also won the best actress award for their performance as Hamlet at BABELfast 2019 in Romania. The production has earned five-star reviews from the likes of LGBTQ Arts Review, UK Theatre Network, and Front Row Centre, and No Proscenium described it as 'an innovative take on Shakespeare’s masterpiece that lets the audience play in its world while losing none of its stunning language or complex power.' The show was also highlighted as one of Immersive Rumour's top picks for the best immersive and interactive work at the Edinburgh Fringe 2026. Hamlet (an experience) runs at George Mackay Brown Library at Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30) from 7th to 17th August at 16:30. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com

Photo: Matt Tate In this debut clown show from Manchester Fringe’s Best Newcomer nominee, Natalie Patuzzo plays an alien who arrives on Earth with a simple task: to collect every single sound on the planet. Every Single Sound in the World has its roots in the viral TikTok trend “make the noise,” where participants attempt to recreate everyday sounds using only their voice. What began as an informal challenge between friends evolved into a live performance format, as Patuzzo brought the game to comedy clubs, inviting audiences to challenge her with increasingly inventive sound recreations, to everyone’s delight. Natalie uses her voice, objects, and audience interaction to recreate and generate new sounds. A comedy at heart, Every Single Sound in the World is also a meditation on Natalie’s experience as an autistic person, and the alienation children with autism experience through presentations such as Echolalia - the repetition of words, phrases, or sounds, often as a response to something heard. Natalie Patuzzo is a clown, director & theatre maker based in Manchester. Natalie grew up in the Midlands and then Essex before she went on to train in European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College, with a placement at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU), studying non-verbal theatre. Her training includes study at the renowned École Philippe Gaulier in Paris and Ecole Jacques Lecoq. Patuzzo met her collaborator Ali Wilson-Goldsmith at a clown workshop with Carlo Jacucci. Alongside her solo work, she co-directed Nuns of Fury, winner of the Audience Choice Award at Manchester Fringe 2025, almost sold-out run at Edinburgh 2025. Every Single Sound In The World runs at Ivy Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) from 24th to 29th August at 15:10. For more information and to book tickets, visit edfringe.com

The world premiere of this new immersive exhibition from DEM Museums is visually impressive but lacks the depth many have come to expect from this kind of experience. Photo: The Timewalk Exhibition The Timewalk Exhibition, produced by Türkiye-based DEM Museums, is the company's debut immersive exhibition in the UK. Running at Immerse LDN below Excel London until 30th September 2026, the 60-minute-long experience invites guests to step back in time and learn about ancient civilisations through 360° projections, spatial sound and cinematic storytelling. It's the latest in a long line of immersive exhibitions to arrive in London in the last few years, with its launch coming just weeks after the final days of Cleopatra: The Immersive Experience just a few doors down at Immerse LDN and Vikings: The Immersive Experience at Canada Water's DockX. Regardless of whether they focused on Tutankhamun, the Titanic, Pompeii or the Viking Age, all of London's recent large-scale immersive exhibitions have followed a similar structure of museum-like displays, VR sequences and immersive projections. Clearly it's a formula that works, with the exhibitions collectively welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests through their doors, but after so many in such a short amount of time, it's quickly turned into a case of diminishing returns, with each one feeling less impactful than the last. Photo: The Timewalk Exhibition With Timewalk, DEM has taken a decidedly different approach to creating an immersive exhibition. They've done away with VR sequences entirely, made traditional museum-style educational content a lower priority, and placed the all-encompassing visuals that typically only make up one part of other immersive exhibitions at the centre of the experience. If this wasn't already a pretty radical departure from the norm, they also decided to expand the exhibition's scope well outside just a single historical figure or moment in time and have instead set their sights on something much bigger - covering 12,000 years of human history. Photo: The Timewalk Exhibition The experience begins with guests picking up a personal audio guide (the English narration is provided by David Schofield and Olivia Williams, but the experience's narration is also available in 24 other languages, alongside a version for children) and walking through an arched hallway of constantly moving nebulas, stars, and flowing sand-like particles. On the other side of the tunnel, guests emerge into a space housing a couple dozen stone monoliths. Inside are replicas of glyphs, stone heads, and vessels, which all directly tie into an ancient civilisation. Unless you hold a PhD on the matter, many of the civilisations explored will likely be unfamiliar, with everything from the Shang, Zapotec, and Sumerians featuring. In place of traditional object labels, all of the information available about these civilisations comes through guests' audio guides, which are triggered by placing the device against an RFID-enabled icon engraved into each monolith. This option is briefly explained during the audio introduction, but it's not all that intuitive thanks to each monolith also having half a dozen other engravings alongside the audio guide icon. Anyone hoping to take their time and engage with each monolith will struggle, as after a set amount of time the lights in the space dim and wrap-around screens burst to life, showing AI-enhanced scenes of the earliest human civilisations and groups working to erect monuments and places of worship in 9000 BC Göbeklitepe. As a moment in human history, it's significant, suggesting that religion and communal worship were the driving forces behind civilisations being formed, not agriculture; but just as soon as the audio guide begins to explore this idea, the screens fade out to a sea of the already familiar sand-like particles, and everyone in the space is ushered into the next room to learn about another civilisation. Photo: The Timewalk Exhibition From here on out, the museum-like monoliths make way for a series of four 360° immersive projection rooms, which each explore a different civilisation - ancient Maya, the city of Babylon, Egypt, and Rapa Nui (more commonly known today as Easter Island). At the centre of each room is a striking wire-frame centrepiece relating to the subject matter being projected. For the section on Babylon, it’s a scale replica of the Ishtar Gate; for Egypt, it’s a boat cruising up the Nile. Maya has several tree trunks, denoting the forest that was crucial to their way of life, and for Rapa Nui there’s a monolithic moai statue. While none of them can match the spectacle of Vikings: The Immersive Experience's life-size Viking longship, which guests were welcome to climb aboard, they're a welcome addition to the experience, which would otherwise feel devoid of anything physical and tangible besides a smattering of cube stools for a large chunk of its run time. Photo: The Timewalk Exhibition Visually, the projections that feature in each of these four main immersive spaces are pretty stunning and feel like a step above what's on offer at many other recent immersive exhibitions, but the scope of the exhibition's subject matter means that the amount of educational content and detail on offer is far less than what was available in the first room through the monoliths. By the time each of the four main civilisations has been introduced in their respective rooms, things seem to wrap up, and it's on to the next space. The show's conclusion, which looks to connect all of the civilisations covered through their commonalities and influence on one another, is fairly effective at highlighting how ultimately every society was looking to build something that lasts, honour their past and be remembered, but when each civilisation featured gets at best a brief overview, Timewalk ultimately falls short of doing them justice. ★★★ [Tickets gifted in exchange for an honest review] The Timewalk Exhibition runs at Immerse LDN near Custom House station until 30th September 2026. General admission tickets are priced from £28.50 for Adults and £22.70 for Children. For more information and to book tickets, visit timewalkexhibition.com

The critically acclaimed show, performed entirely in darkness, comes to cathedrals and historic venues across the country, inviting audiences to leave behind the visual noise of the outside world and experience music with every sense heightened. Photo: In The Dark In The Dark, a live music experience set in complete darkness that offers a one-of-a-kind journey into sound, will tour the UK for the first time this autumn, following several critically acclaimed, sold-out seasons in London. As well as touring outside the capital for the first time, audiences at its London dates will be treated to an entirely new production created especially for the tour: PULSE. This extraordinary 70-minute show is performed completely in the dark, with a company of 30 live musicians and vocalists moving silently through the venue, entirely unamplified, surrounding a seated audience who wear eye masks throughout. Photo: In The Dark There is no stage. There is no lighting of any kind. With sight removed entirely, the senses recalibrate, and the audience's attention shifts wholly to the sound - heightened, visceral, ever-changing live 360° sound wall of live music that moves, swells and recedes around every seat in the room. This autumn, In The Dark calls at Bristol Cathedral, Chichester Cathedral, St Albans Cathedral, All Saints Hove, Tewkesbury Abbey and Guildford Cathedral, alongside London dates at St John's Hyde Park, Southwark Cathedral and St Andrew's Holborn, with more tour dates to be announced. Each date features a matinee and an evening performance. These historic buildings, centuries old and built to carry sound, become part of the performance itself – each venue's natural acoustic shaping the show as much as the musicians do. The tour brings HUSH, In The Dark's critically acclaimed show built around slowing down and switching off the outside world, with arrangements of songs by Sigur Rós, Coldplay, Ólafur Arnalds, Mumford & Sons and more. At its London dates, audiences will experience PULSE for the first time: a more propulsive, rhythm-driven production, built around the same musicians and immersive approach, with reworkings of songs by M83, Nils Frahm, Kate Bush, José González and more. Photo: In The Dark In The Dark was founded by Andrea Cockerton in Cambridge in 2017, growing from its original sold-out shows into a full London season in 2024, performed by professional musicians drawn from the West End, the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and other leading institutions. That season won the Offies Assessors' Choice award, and In The Dark has since presented more than 60 performances to over 8,000 people. In The Dark will tour the UK across October, November and December 2026. For more information and to book tickets, visit in-the-dark.com

From Göbeklitepe to Babylon, Ancient Egypt, the Maya, and Rapa Nui, step into history as if you were truly there in this immersive walk-through exhibition from DEM Museums. Image: DEM Museums This summer, London will welcome a bold new cultural journey through the ancient world. Timewalk Exhibition, a major new immersive exhibition from DEM Museums, will open at Immerse LDN at Excel Waterfront in July 2026, inviting visitors to explore the rise and fall of human civilisation through spectacular audio and visual storytelling. Created as an immersive walk-through adventure rather than a traditional gallery display, Timewalk brings ancient civilisations roaring back to full scale, restoring their grandeur, atmosphere, and human stories through vivid, multi-sensory environments. Beginning with Göbeklitepe, the moment humanity moves beyond survival to create ritual, meaning, and collective consciousness, The Timewalk Exhibition traces the earliest known chapters of civilisation and follows the echoes of human life across centuries. Göbeklitepe is also recognised as the site of the world’s earliest communal gathering. Image: DEM Museums Visitors will continue through legendary ancient worlds, including Babylon, the emergence of order, urbanisation, and systems of knowledge, Ancient Egypt, the pursuit of immortality and cosmic balance, the Maya, understanding the universe through mathematics, astronomy, and cyclical time, and Rapa Nui, the cultural and spiritual significance of the Moai statues as ancestral and protective figures of the island, encountering these cultures not as distant ruins, but as living places filled with movement, meaning, and memory. Visitors will become immersed in Timewalk, stepping beyond the present and into the shared story of humanity. Civilisations rise around them: cities waking at dawn, temples glowing at night, monuments towering overhead, and daily life unfolding in rich detail. From sailing the Nile at sunset to passing through ancient city gates of Babylon, The Timewalk Exhibition reveals how civilisations built, believed, and belonged, and how their ideas still shape the world we live in today. Moving beyond traditional interpretations to present history at full scale, it offers visitors of all ages a way of connecting with the past that goes far beyond objects and information. Designed to restore the emotional depth and human dimension of ancient civilisations, it enables visitors to experience what it may have felt like to inhabit these remarkable societies. Image: DEM Museums With breathtaking visual effects, heart-pounding soundscapes, and spellbinding narration, The Timewalk Exhibition brings history to life as a living, breathing spectacle that fuses elements of space, water, and time. Grounded in archaeological research and brought to the present through cinematic storytelling, it creates a powerful sense of wonder, curiosity, and perspective, offering a multi-sensory journey through ancient civilisations that goes far beyond the limits of a conventional museum setting. A 25-language audio guide will further enhance the experience, making Timewalks’s universal story more accessible and inclusive for international visitors. The Timewalk Exhibition is created by DEM Museums, known for pioneering experiential cultural destinations, including the globally awarded Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum and the Ephesus Experience Museum. As DEM expands its work internationally, Timewalk represents a major new chapter, bringing the universal story of early civilisation to the heart of London. Eda Bildiricioglu, CEO of DEM, said: Ancient civilisations represent an extraordinary heritage that has fundamentally reshaped everything we know about human history. We believe it is a great responsibility to present this heritage to accurately to global audiences. At DEM Museums, our core mission is storytelling through history. However, we do not do this through conventional methods; we transform it into immersive, multi-sensory experiences through advanced technology. We remind people of what has been forgotten and teach what is unknown. With 35 years of experience in visual and auditory technologies and having contributed to the realisation of 18 museums and cultural complexes, along with earning 15 global awards through the Hagia Sophia and Ephesus Experience Museums, our goal is to bring together the universal narratives of ancient civilisations. By interpreting these through a contemporary storytelling language, we aim to help visitors form deeper and more lasting connections with cultural heritage. Image: DEM Museums The exhibition will open at Immerse LDN, London’s next-generation entertainment and culture district, which has welcomed over 1.7 million visitors to date. The Timewalk Exhibition will offer the opportunity to explore the ancient world in a fully immersive format in Central London, presenting some of the most influential civilisations in human history as a multi-sensory experience in the heart of the capital. Damian Norman, Director, Immersive Entertainment Excel London and Immerse LDN, said: We’re delighted to welcome Timewalk to Immerse LDN and to collaborate with the multi-award-winning team at DEM Museums, a global leader in technology-driven cultural storytelling. Their unique approach to combining historical research with advanced immersive technologies is redefining how audiences engage with heritage at scale. Since launching, Immerse LDN has introduced more than 10 groundbreaking immersive experiences to London, selling 1.7 million tickets and further cementing the capital’s reputation as a world-leading destination for immersive entertainment and cultural experiences. Timewalk represents another significant step in that journey, bringing a truly world-class cultural experience to the heart of the city. Located at Immerse LDN on the Excel London Waterfront, the exhibition is easily accessible via train, London Underground, bus, and car, and is just 12 minutes from Central London on the Elizabeth Line. The Timewalk Exhibition will run at Immerse LDN near Custom House station from 23rd July 2026. General admission tickets are priced from £28.50 for Adults and £22.70 for Children. For more information, visit timewalkexhibition.com

Arcade Arena London launches on 5th September, bringing together the PAC-MAN Live Experience, Chaos Karts and the world premiere of Alien Invasion in the UK's most ambitious live gaming destination. All imagery artist’s impression only. Final design, materials, and specifications may change Little Lion Entertainment has confirmed that Arcade Arena London will officially open its doors on Saturday 5th September 2026, marking a significant milestone in the company's continued expansion of the live video game attraction sector. Located at 26 Lambeth High Street, SE1, the flagship venue brings together three large-scale immersive gaming experiences under one roof, representing Little Lion Entertainment's most ambitious investment to date and the next evolution of its live entertainment portfolio. Opening with the PAC-MAN Live Experience, Chaos Karts and the world premiere of Alien Invasion, Arcade Arena has been designed as a flexible, multi-experience venue capable of delivering simultaneous, high-capacity immersive experiences from globally recognised IP alongside original concepts. The gigantic opening is set to be the company’s biggest venue yet, and builds on Little Lion Entertainment's track record of developing category-defining experiences, following the continued success of The Crystal Maze Experience, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, together with the ongoing expansion of Chaos Karts and the PAC-MAN Live Experience from the successful Manchester venue. The venue launches with three cutting-edge games. The PAC-MAN Live Experience, developed in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, transforms one of the world's most recognisable video game franchises into a fully immersive live attraction, putting the player in PAC-MAN's shoes. Chaos Karts, Little Lion Entertainment's original immersive karting concept, combines real electric karts with digitally projected gaming worlds to create a unique interactive racing experience. And making its debut in London, Alien Invasion marks a brand-new experience, combining immersive storytelling, advanced digital and drone technology and live-action gameplay within a science fiction environment, made possible by never-before-seen innovative technology, devised and created by the Little Lion Entertainment team. Tom Lionetti-Maguire, Founder and CEO of Little Lion Entertainment, said: Arcade Arena London represents a vision we've been developing for more than a decade. Our ambition wasn't simply to build another immersive attraction, but to create a venue capable of hosting multiple world-class live gaming experiences within a single destination. The opening of our London flagship venue demonstrates how far the sector has evolved. Guests increasingly want experiences that are social, competitive, and rooted in globally recognised entertainment brands, while operators need concepts that are scalable and capable of driving repeat visitation. The launch further establishes Little Lion Entertainment's position as one of the UK's leading creators of immersive attractions, while reinforcing London's status as a global destination for next-generation entertainment experiences. The opening follows a sustained period of growth for Little Lion Entertainment, which now employs more than 220 people and has welcomed millions of guests across its portfolio of attractions. Tom Lionetti-Maguire adds: Bringing the PAC-MAN Live Experience, Chaos Karts and Alien Invasion together under one roof is an important step for the continued evolution of live video game attractions as a category. We're incredibly proud to open the doors on 5th September and showcase what we believe is the future of immersive entertainment. Arcade Arena London will open at 26 Lambeth High Street on 5th September 2026. For more information and to book tickets, visit arcadearena.co.uk

Photo: Grant Walker Following high demand, The Traitors: Live Experience has released a new wave of tickets for the autumn season, with bookings now available for games running from 8th September to 8th November 2026. Since launching last year and introducing brand-new missions this Spring, the immersive attraction has continued to delight fans, inviting players to step inside the world of the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning television phenomenon. Inspired by the hit TV show The Traitors (produced by Studio Lambert for BBC in the UK and NBC in the US), the experience transports players into a world of deception inside an adventure inspired by the show's iconic castle. Guided by a live host, guests take their place at The Round Table before embarking on missions, forging alliances and attempting to uncover the Traitors hidden amongst them. Photo: Grant Walker As the game reaches its dramatic finale, the remaining players battle for victory and a coveted place on the leaderboard, rewarding the sharpest strategists and most convincing deceivers. New for the autumn season is the VIP 'Big Dog' Package – the ultimate premium experience for groups of 10–14 players. Designed to elevate game night, the package includes a private Round Table experience, early access, welcome and mid-game drinks, exclusive Traitor and Faithful pin badges, and a private post-game space to celebrate victories, dissect betrayals and compare tactics. Tickets for the autumn season start from £32.50 and are on sale now. The Traitors: Live Experience is located at 60 Short's Gardens near Covent Garden. Tickets are priced from £32.50 per person. For more info and to book tickets, visit thetraitorslive.co.uk

Photo: Wake The Tiger London is about to gain a second city: one where logic breaks down, a parallel world connects, and reality refuses to behave. Today, the creators behind the award-winning Wake The Tiger Amazement Park have pulled back the curtain on their monumental West London expansion, naming the experience Absurd City and officially launching ticket sales. Pre-sale tickets are live as of 9am on Tuesday, 21st July, with general sale open at 12pm via wakethetiger.com Taking over a ginormous 80,000-sq ft anchor space at Westfield London, the attraction will become Europe’s largest immersive art experience when it officially opens its doors on Thursday, 15th October 2026. Following the phenomenal success of its flagship Bristol location, which has drawn over half a million global visitors since 2022, the London debut marks a massive leap forward in scale and creative ambition, expanding Bristol’s award-winning parallel world of Meridia into the heart of the capital. Photo: Wake The Tiger Inspired by the concept of a metropolis operating on completely different rules, Absurd City invites visitors - called Daytrippers - to travel through a portal into a sprawling, vivid cityscape. While many of the city's secrets remain fiercely guarded, the creators have revealed that visitors will journey through four distinct districts, housed under a protective dome, filled with unfolding stories, unexpected discoveries, secret passageways and tactile installations. Just remember: In the dome, EVERYTHING IS FINE. Luke Mitchell, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder at Wake The Tiger, remarked: Whether you’re new to the world of Meridia or a seasoned Daytripper, the self-guided experience is designed to spark imagination regardless of age, ability or persuasion. It’s trippy, it’s weird, and it’s waiting for us all to jump right in. Photo: Wake The Tiger To mark today’s ticket launch, Absurd City will briefly glitch into the real world as a Meridia-inspired double- decker bus, and accompanying taxi make their way across London before arriving at Westfield Square. From Wednesday 22nd July until Tuesday 28th July, the free public installation will offer Londoners their first physical glimpse into the new world, with the Absurd City vehicles serving as interactive photo booths for curious passersby, friends and families. As a certified B Corporation, Wake The Tiger blends counter-culture art and world-class storytelling with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Photo: Wake The Tiger Graham MacVoy, CEO and Co-Founder at Wake The Tiger, comments: We believe culture and storytelling have the unique power to reshape how we see our future. Absurd City is an invitation to rediscover hope and community through a creative lens. We are here to challenge convention, spark curiosity and prove that a different kind of world is possible and worth building together. Today is the first chance for people to secure their place inside an experience designed to inspire positive change today that transforms tomorrow. Luke Mitchell, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, adds: There is no blueprint for Absurd City. It’s been a beautifully chaotic process driven by some of the UK’s finest underground artists, robotic experts and makers. We’ve built a cosmic, eccentric and deeply human playground that we can't wait for London to explore. Photo: Wake The Tiger Jacinta Rowsell, Managing Director, Customer & Retail Operations, Northern Europe at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, commented: Absurd City is exactly the kind of bold, culture-defining experience we want people to discover at Westfield London. From the moment Wake The Tiger shared their vision with us, we knew this was going to be something special - an immersive world that blurs the boundaries between art, storytelling and live experience on an extraordinary scale. We’re incredibly excited that Westfield London will become the home of Absurd City. Wake The Tiger's Absurd City will open at Westfield London near Shepherd's Bush station on 15th October 2026. For more information and to book tickets, visit wakethetiger.com Follow Immersive Rumours on Instagram for more coverage of Wake The Tiger's Absurd City, including a behind-the-scenes preview of the experience with Luke Mitchell.