Tyrannical 300-foot Martian Fighting Machines, war-torn Victorian soldiers, Parliament reduced to smouldering rubble – all in a day’s work at Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Located in the heart of London, this eerie adventure invites you to live through a Martian invasion brought to life through virtual reality, live theatre, multi-sensory special effects and – if you hadn’t already guessed from the title – Jeff Wayne’s iconic multi-platinum music. We headed over to experience it for ourselves and here’s what I thought…
First thoughts
The gateway into Victorian London is found just a Heat Ray’s strike from Liverpool Street Station – or if you want to keep walking to a minimum you can always opt for the closer Aldgate tube station. We didn’t expect the lovely torrent of rain, so had a longer walk on our hands and rocked up at the doors a little soggy but more than ready to escape the gloomy reality of London for the afternoon. Luckily, the otherworldly experience was happy to oblige.
As soon as I stepped inside I was caught in the ominous, green-eyed glare of the Martian Fighting Machine which was looming above the main ‘Spirit of Man’ bar and restaurant – quickly soothing any doubts I was in the right place. Bathed in a vibrant kaleidoscope of psychedelic purples and electric blues, the space almost felt like stumbling onto another planet; only one where we still have the comforting sight of steampunk-style decor, beer on tap and bottles of spirits lining the shelves behind the (thankfully, human-tended) bar. Clearly, they haven’t pulled the unearthly punches when it comes to setting the scene.
The highlights
I’m not going to spoil things by giving you an exact play-by-play, but here’s the lowdown on some of my favourite elements. First off, the costumes and sets were very well done. As soon as the door clicks shut behind us, you are transported back to Victorian England thanks to a combination of old-world decor and live actors dressed to the nines in 19th-century garms (with a spiky, steampunk twist here and there). Throughout, you encounter various characters, each peppy, charismatic personality complimented by time-warped outfits, which grow increasingly rumpled and dirt-stained as the war rages on. Though the pep does seem to persevere – even if it’s an urgent, Martians-are-invading-and-we-might-be-doomed kind of pep.
Don’t let the floral wallpapers, lace doilies and ruffled collars fool you, something ominous still lingers in the air – whether it’s the gloomy lighting or the curious shimmering substance leaking from an actor’s eyes, you’re very aware that danger is lurking around the corner. After all, it’s called ‘Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience’ and not ‘Jeff Wayne’s Fun Frolic through Victorian England’ for a reason. They capture the panic well; hurrying you through cramped, narrow hallways, making you clamber through half-open windows and sending you hurtling (read: sliding smoothly at a fun pace) down the claw of a Martian Handling Machine.
But it’s in the quieter moments that the thrills really work. Just a disclaimer here – it’s not too scary, they’re not trying to make you fear for your life after all, but you can expect a few small jumpscares and horror-movie-worthy chills along the way. Take, for example, being plunged into absolute darkness as a Martian attack unfolds around you. As I sat, frozen in silence before things truly kicked off, they ramped up the tension. The flurry of air and goosebump-inducing brush of fabric against my arm, as someone rushed by, was an especially nice touch. They don’t forget your other senses either. Nervous whispers graduated to spine-chilling shouts while the mechanical clank of something not of this world (or historic era) grew ever closer and louder. Let’s just say, it wasn’t the ice cream man.
It’s not just live theatrics that work their magic here. The special effects and cutting-edge technology do a great job of bringing Martian-invaded London to tangible life. There are 24 interactive scenes in total, each one utilising a variety of multisensory effects that range from unnerving rumbles and binaural sound to holograms and fully immersive virtual reality. Fiction has never felt so real.
Early on an astronomy lesson unravels into a frenzy after you spy a mysterious object colliding with earth and plumes of unearthly green gas billow into the air – it all unfolds through the lens of the old telescope you’re peering through, but the added sounds and flashing lighting are what help get the adrenaline really racing. If that doesn’t do it, witnessing the first casualty of the invasion be lit up in raging flames by a Heat Ray should do the trick. In case you were wondering – Martians are not friendly, repeat, not friendly.
The virtual reality scenes expand the world even more. Floating through London on a boat while Martian Fighting Machines unleash destructive hell was striking and foreboding in equal measure, and made all the more cinematic by the dramatic swell of Jeff Wayne’s iconic ‘Forever Autumn’. Later, a climactic VR scene in a confessional booth had our group screaming as the visuals seemed to break the fourth (or is it fifth?) wall and we felt the cold pinch of a mechanised arm – I’ll leave you to figure out what it really was.
Thankfully, we didn’t end up having our blood harvested and went on to experience the triumphant final scene, which saw the human race survive the Martian reign of terror (that’s not a spoiler, this is a tale of survival). As if that wasn’t spectacular enough, thanks to virtual reality you witness the end from the giddy heights of a hot air balloon.
It is clear throughout that Jeff Wayne’s fingerprints are all over the proceedings. Keeping true to his Musical Version of The War of The Worlds, inspired by H.G Well’s dystopian science-fiction novel, his compelling music is a constant companion to your adventure and compliments the events well throughout. Fans will be entirely in their element, as the immersive experience breathes new, interactive life into his lyrics.
Keep in mind
This is on the longer side of experiences I’ve been to, running for over an hour and 50 minutes. However, this does include a 20-minute interval to get your bearings – and a cocktail – among the tangled crimson vines of the ‘Red Weed Bar’.
While you’re not going to be scaling any walls or doing burpees to dodge the insect-like gaze of the Martian Handling Machines, it is quite active, so you might want to check the FAQs for accessibility information beforehand. Also, you’ll need to leave the young kids with a babysitter, as it is for the ages of 10 and over only.
To sum it up
Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience pirouettes along the line of fun and horror with a theatrical flair. The fusion of Victorian aesthetics, Jeff Wayne’s rock opera music, modern technology and otherworldly enemies means things are never boring, there’s always something to look at – or look out for. By the time you emerge back into the real world, hailed as survivors, you’ll almost feel disappointed with the mundanity of it all. Who knew the end of the world could be this fun?