Immersive theatre in London
Step into immersive theatre worlds with our guide to the best and most boldly interactive London shows
Whether you call it immersive theatre, interactive theatre or site-specific theatre, London is bursting with plays and experiences which welcome you into a real life adventure. Pioneered by acclaimed companies such as Punchdrunk, this is theatre that does away with proscenium arches and plushy seats, but beyond that it can take any form, from intimate one-on-one experiences to dazzling virtual reality extravaganzas.
We've dug up some of the best immersive shows in hidden locations across the city. Whether you're after a '20s jazz adventure, a zombie-chasing night of terror, a dinner with a twist, or a mind-blowing night of experimental game theatre, London's got you covered.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
‘For fuck’s sake,’ mumbled a member of the Bridge Theatre crew as he sprinted past me…
The Murdér Express: Jewel of the Empire
The next in line of London’s endless stream of immersive-dining-slash-theatre experiences is ‘The Murdér Express’, from Funicular productions, who’ve done a couple of similar shows at this same address over the last year…
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of ‘The War of the Worlds’: The Immersive Experience review
Keen-eyed readers may notice that this review of the laboriously entitled ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience’ is in fact a re-review: a misunderstanding led to our first writer being invited down before the VR elements of the show were working…
The Unholy Marriage of Slice and Sweetly
London immersive company ImmerCity returns with its fifth production, ‘The Unholy Marriage of Slice and Sweetly’, which follows previous events at Kensington Central Library, the London Museum of Water and Steam and Vine House…
Gingerline: Chambers_
The latest adventure from immersive dining gurus Gingerline sees audiences play the roles of dimension-hopping gourmands, putting their own lives in peril in an effort to secure the best eats in the multiverse.
Mamma Mia! The Party
After spending some time searching around for a venue (it was, ironically, deemed too noisy for Waterloo) Björn Ulvaeus’s immersive experience ‘Mamma Mia! The Party’ has finally found a home…
Variant 31
Sort of midway between the more terrifying end of immersive theatre and one of London’s ubiquitous escape games, ‘Variant 31’ is billed as ‘Europe’s largest immersive survival experience’…
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Explore the basements underneath the newly reopened Alexandra Palace Theatre with this new immersive show from Rift. It nods to the venue's history as the BBC's headquarters by beginning its story in 1930, on the eve of the first ever television broadcast. Then, it dives into the world of 'Midsummer Night's Dream', in an immersive take inspired by ideas of dreams and the subconscious.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Well you have to admire the chutzpah: the creators of long-running immersive London hit ‘The Great Gatsby’ have followed up with an interactive adptation of Jordan Belfort’s hit memoir ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’…
Red Palace
Step into a gothic fairytale with this decadent immersive show from Shotgun Carousel, the makers of 'Divine Proportions'. Grimm heroines Snow White, Red Riding Hood and Beauty (of 'and the Beast' fame) will be in appearance, alongside glamorous turns from dancers, singers, and circus artists. Staggered ticket prices mean that you can eat a full three-course feast (£45-£70) or just watch the cabaret show and soak up the atmosphere (£10-£25).
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