The Gunpowder Plot is the latest immersive experience from Layered Reality, the award-winning producers of Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience, also running in London, not far from this one.
It takes place in a purpose-designed space in Tower Vaults, right by the Tower of London and mixes very talented live actors, totally committed to their roles, and digital stars in a fun multi-sensory theatrical adventure. Virtual reality provides the magic that allows the actor’s images and movements to be motion captured and rendered “live” in the virtual world. Audiences can interact with Guy Fawkes, played by Harry Potter’s Tom Felton, inside Virtual Reality, as they infiltrate the plotter’s inner circle and learn of the conspiracy against the Houses of Parliament. The guests’ mission is: to go undercover, infiltrate the plotters and become part of history’s most daring conspiracy.
The story is fast-paced and has some adrenaline-filled action moments full of tension, thanks also to the care that has been creators have put into each detail, even the small ones.
Gunpowder Plot was, in fact, the failed conspiracy of English Roman Catholics to blow up Parliament and King James I, his queen, and his eldest son on November 5, 1605. They hoped that the confusion that would follow the murder of the king, his ministers, and the members of Parliament would provide an opportunity for the English Catholics to take over the country. But don’t worry, you don’t really need to know all this to enjoy the show!
At the end of the adventure, we were shown how Bonfire Night is being celebrated throughout each decade after 1605. There is also a photo opportunity and merchandise shop and a bar with food and themed cocktails.
Without any doubt, The Gunpowder Plot is an ambitious and highly technical experience that keeps you engaged and on your toes the entire time. Do you want to go back to 1605? Grab a ticket here.
Photos: Mark Dawson