Tonight was incredible because it was finally my chance to head over to Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience in Leadenhall Street, London for a night of steampunk excess and a fan extravaganza dedicated to Jeff Wayne’s seminal work.
If you’re a fan of the musical, you’re going to love this, a lot. You may also, at times, appear more terrified than other visitors. If you’re not a fan yet, I predict that you’ll love this immersive audio-visual experience so much that you may well end up buying a t-shirt in the gift shop afterwards.
And if you really haven’t heard of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds yet, it was a 1978 concept album based on the novel of the same name by H.G. Wells. Set in Victorian London, it tells the story of the Martian invasion of earth and features searing electric guitars and unmistakeable basslines. I’ve been a fan for 40 years.
The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience - Review
I have to admit, I don’t quite know how to express how much I enjoyed this event without spoiling it. In a sentence, I will say that it is very, very good and you should go see it whether you’re already a fan or soon to become one. Perhaps if I simply leave you with a list of what to expect on the night?
- You’ll walk through Victorian London and see and hear Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds in ways you’ve never experienced it before
- You’ll meet Ogilvy the astronomer who will confidently tell you that the chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one
- Shortly after that, you’ll decide that standing in the front might not be the best idea after all. In fact, head straight to the back
- You’ll realise that there is absolutely no reason to have anything on your person including phones and bags. Leave them all at the free coat check so that you can run about without worrying about them (but keep some money for the intermission bar)
- You’ll have tea and biscuits in George Herbert’s house and learn the meaning of true terror
- You’ll encounter a virtual Martian wasteland and will very much want to run as far away from the horror of your surroundings as possible. And you’ll think oh my god, please don’t let it touch me
- You’ll take a journey through Forever Autumn and meet Thunderchild
- You’ll take a much needed break at the Red Weed Bar. Definitely try out their signature cocktail.
- You’ll experience absolute terror, again and you’ll learn that unlike in your nightmares, it seems you really can scream when you need to. Loudly.
- You’ll start all over again in a brave new world before a breath-taking finale over Dead London
Details and tickets
Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience opens at London's Old Metal Exchange on 31 May 2019.
Address:
56 Leadenhall Street,
London,
EC3A 2BJ
Tickets:
From £49.50 adults / £39.50 children aged 12-15
Buy
Recommended attire:
Comfortable walking shoes as you'll be running, standing and crawling for 110 minutes. Leave jackets, phones and bags at the free coat check.
Disability and Accessibility information:
The venue will be arranging regular wheelchair accessible events. Please visit this link for all disability and accessibility information.