Immersive London: pop-ups and secret adventures in the city
Looking for the next immersive experience or fresh pop-up? London events and adventures that you have to keep quiet about
The Gingerline team have been transporting daring guests into immersive, ‘multidimensional’ dining experiences since 2010. Their latest offering is a voyage into space with some fantastical aeronauts, and includes a sumptuous five-course meal. It's part dance spectacle, part multimedia simulation and part supper club.
When: until 30 June 2019
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SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: Variant 31
If you were a character in a horror movie, would you be the first to die or the last person standing? With a zombie apocalypse on its way to London, it’s time to find out. Variant 31 is an immersive horror experience that invites guests to battle over 100 actors playing animated corpses. The tagline, 'Aim for the Head', hints that this isn't a show for the light-hearted: this ninety-minute nightmare involves scenes of violence, nudity, strong language, small spaces, strobe lighting and possibly some sprinting.
When: 13 April - 2 June 2019
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SHAKEN NOT STIRRED: Secret Cinema shows Casino Royale
The most exciting immersive cinema experience of the year has just announced its latest project. There's been Moulin Rouge, Blade Runner, Star Wars, and Romeo Juliet, and now it is the turn of the ultimate secret agent himself, James Bond. Secret Cinema have announced that Casino Royale will be the next film to take centre stage in a night of mystery and martinis.The 2006 film seems like the perfect choice, as the adaptation of Ian Fleming's first ever James Bond story is packed with high-stakes drama to please both critics and fans.
When: June - September 2019
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WATCH OUT FOR ALIENS: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Immersive theatre company dotdotdot return to London with a new experience based on the best-selling album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds. Audiences will be transported to Victorian England, as depicted by H. G. Wells in cult sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds; for 90 minutes, normal life will be replaced with the chaos of martian invasion.
When: 31 May - 30 June 2019
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DINNER IS COMING: An immersive dining experience based on Game of Thrones
Underground bar The Vaults has produced some excellent immersive dining experiences in the last year, including shows based on Peter Pan and Trainspotting. The location's latest offering, which invites guests to attend a royal wedding in the Seven Kingdoms, is likely to be the same perfect blend of sumptuous food, intrigue and hilarity. Ticket holders are advised to 'dress in accordance with their chosen house'.
When: 9 April - 2 June 2019
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COURTROOM DRAMA: Witness for the Prosecution
A rich woman is found dead. Her younger lover and only heir, Leonard Vole, is on trial for the murder.
You are invited into the courtroom, to witness the dramas of a trial as they unfold, in a new site-specific production of Agatha Christie's classic crime story. With Jazz-era glamour, the shadow of the first world war, and an especially slippery key witness, it offers plenty of intrigue and atmosphere for director Lucy Bailey (Titus Andronicus, The Globe). The setting and story work together magnificently; echoy marble corridors and sumptuous leather seats of County Hall’s Chamber courtroom provide the perfect backdrop. From the public gallery, you see into the barristers’ chambers and then watch the murder trial twisting and turning to its gasp-worthy conclusion.
When: until March 2020
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HERE WE GO AGAIN: Mamma Mia! The Party
First came the music, followed by the hit stage show, then not one but two blockbuster movies, now you can be part of the party with a Mamma Mia immersive experience. London's O2 will host theatrical and dining experience, which has already impressed in Stockholm. Mamma Mia! The Party invites audiences into a Greek Island paradise, where olive trees, trickling fountains and trailing bougainvillea transport you to Nikos' Taverna for an evening of Mediterranean food and live performance.
When: late spring 2019
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GET IN ON THE ACTION: Sherlock: The Game is Now
When:
Booking until 31 May 2019Read more and book
FLOAT IN STYLE: The HotTug
Fancy taking a relaxing ‘boat’ trip down London’s canals as
you soak in a 38-degree wood-fired hot tub? For a total of £225, you and seven
others can rent a HotTug to enjoy 75 minutes of pure tranquillity as you pass
through the city’s landscape. This self-driven electric hot tub is the first of its kind. Throw in an extra £15 per person for a VIP upgrade
that includes robe and towel rental, ice for drinks, and most importantly,
sailor hats!
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A NIGHT WITH BASIL, SYBIL AND MANUEL: Faulty Towers Dining Experience
Enjoy a three-course meal served by Britain’s two favourite hotel owners and their clumsy employee. This interactive evening hosted by the Radisson Blu Hotel promises theatrical and comedic-filled performances. Faulty Tower fans won't want to miss out on this experience that seamlessly translates TV to reality.
When: Booking until 2 June 2019
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I LIKE LARGE PARTIES, THEY'RE SO INTIMATE: Immersive The Great Gatsby
Jay Gatsby is hosting the party to end all parties – and you're invited. Step into the roaring Twenties of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel with this immersive theatre production of The Great Gatsby. Event company Guild of Misrule set the scene with slick professionalism: sparkle, champagne, gin and copious opportunities to show of your Charleston skills. Meet Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker and even the elusive Mr Gatsby himself as you step through a drugstore into a world of riches, mystery and bootleg liquor. It's not enough just to attend the party; you have to dress the part. Drop waists, pearls and dancing shoes are de rigueur and drinking is encouraged.
When: Booking until September 2019
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GET IN THE SPIRIT: Gin Journey
If lemon drizzle doesn't quite quench your thirst, don't worry. Gin Journey will whisk you off to top-notch
distilleries and secret bars so you can sip on premium gins and delicious cocktails. After their success in Shoreditch, Gin
Journey take the tour to Bermondsey replete with expert knowledge and many a beverage.
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WHERE KITSCH MEETS BLITZ: Cahoots
Sandbags, bunting and posters urging you to ‘grow your own vegetables’ all contribute to the 1940s premise of this Underground-inspired bar. Fittingly, the music policy is jazz, swing, and rock’n’roll, with some electro swing later in the night. Cahoots also offers a range of cocktails, with innovative combinations like champagne and garden peas, served up in hip-flasks, old milk bottles and tin mugs by bartenders dressed for the period. And did we mention one room is set up as a 40s Tube carriage?
CRACK THE CODE: The Bletchley
Cooked up by the makers of Breaking Bad-themed ABQ and naked pop-up the Bunyadi, the Bletchley involves more clothes than the latter and fewer test tubes than the former. Patrons use Enigma code-breaking machines to solve a series of puzzles, the answers are translated into flavours and handed over to the Bletchley’s master mixologists, who then use them to create your theoretical perfect cocktail. You’ll just have to go along and crack the code of your own taste buds to find out if it works…
