The Game's Afoot, Madame Tussauds review ★★★★★
Become Sherlock Holmes and solve crime in Les Enfants Terribles' immersive show at Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds: Game's Afoot immersive theatre show
Fancy yourself a bit of super sleuth? Well, now you can head to Baker Street and play the great detective himself in a new Sherlock Holmes themed immersive evening show at Madame Tussauds by masters of adventurous theatre, Les Enfants Terribles.
Just don't blame us if you discover that your crime solving skills aren't quite up to scratch.
Last summer Les Enfants Terribles took Alice in Wonderland underground in a larger than life promenade performance of the classic novel. Now, for summer 2016, the theatre company have created an hour-long humdinger of a mystery based on Conan Doyle's crime story, set in a specially Edwardian themed area of Madame Tussauds.
As proud Londoners we were a little reluctant to enter the tourist mecca that is London's foremost waxwork display. But happily this is not the Madame Tussauds of teenage day-trippers and Beyoncé selfies; there is not a celebrity wax model in sight and smart phones are strictly banned.
After whetting your whistle and collecting props (notepad and suspect sheet), you are ushered into the cobbled, gloomily lit confines of the Sherlock Holmes experience area.
A grisly crime has been committed; a mutilated body was found on the moors; menacing beasts lurk, and all the people you encounter have their own web of motives.
It's up to you to search for clues. A labyrinth of rooms and a cast of characters await ready to mislead and baffle you even more. From hidden hand-written letters to actors with an unwavering commitment to their character (that withstands even our toughest interrogation), the production quality is consistently impressive. Unlike many immersive experiences, Game's Afoot feels intimate. There's no jostling past crowds of other audience members to get a glimpse of the clues and the generous ratio of actors to participants makes for plenty of participation opportunities.
It's all too easy to get carried along with the narrative, sneakily rooting through cases and colluding with characters in set that perfectly mimics a moving train carriage, or an unsettlingly spooky crypt, or in Holmes' cluttered study. You want to take your time and savour all the little touches.
But, just as you begin to weave together a viable theory of whodunnit, time starts to run out and you must frantically settle on suspect and scramble together an explanation. Did we succeed in solving the mystery in the style of Sherlock?…
Well, just few more minutes of investion and we would have nailed it, honestly.
The show is for ages 16 and up.
Just don't blame us if you discover that your crime solving skills aren't quite up to scratch.
Last summer Les Enfants Terribles took Alice in Wonderland underground in a larger than life promenade performance of the classic novel. Now, for summer 2016, the theatre company have created an hour-long humdinger of a mystery based on Conan Doyle's crime story, set in a specially Edwardian themed area of Madame Tussauds.
As proud Londoners we were a little reluctant to enter the tourist mecca that is London's foremost waxwork display. But happily this is not the Madame Tussauds of teenage day-trippers and Beyoncé selfies; there is not a celebrity wax model in sight and smart phones are strictly banned.
After whetting your whistle and collecting props (notepad and suspect sheet), you are ushered into the cobbled, gloomily lit confines of the Sherlock Holmes experience area.
A grisly crime has been committed; a mutilated body was found on the moors; menacing beasts lurk, and all the people you encounter have their own web of motives.
It's up to you to search for clues. A labyrinth of rooms and a cast of characters await ready to mislead and baffle you even more. From hidden hand-written letters to actors with an unwavering commitment to their character (that withstands even our toughest interrogation), the production quality is consistently impressive. Unlike many immersive experiences, Game's Afoot feels intimate. There's no jostling past crowds of other audience members to get a glimpse of the clues and the generous ratio of actors to participants makes for plenty of participation opportunities.
It's all too easy to get carried along with the narrative, sneakily rooting through cases and colluding with characters in set that perfectly mimics a moving train carriage, or an unsettlingly spooky crypt, or in Holmes' cluttered study. You want to take your time and savour all the little touches.
But, just as you begin to weave together a viable theory of whodunnit, time starts to run out and you must frantically settle on suspect and scramble together an explanation. Did we succeed in solving the mystery in the style of Sherlock?…
Well, just few more minutes of investion and we would have nailed it, honestly.
The show is for ages 16 and up.
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
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| What | The Game's Afoot, Madame Tussauds review |
| Where | Madame Tussauds, Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LR | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Baker Street (underground) |
| When |
18 Jul 16 – 30 Sep 16, Time slots vary |
| Price | £45 |
| Website | Click here for more invitation from Madam Tussauds |