ESCAPE THE MARTIAN INVASION IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND IN JEFF WAYNE’S THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Last week we featured Layered Reality, The Gunpowder Plot but now we’re excited to share with you our thoughts of the Layered Reality’s immersive adaptation of the 1978 multi-platinum album Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds. As well as HG Wells’ 1897 sci-fi novel The War of The Worlds.
The experience features virtual reality and multi-sensory effects. The venue is in an expansive : multi-million pound visitor attraction in the heart of London. Composer and producer Jeff Wayne re-produced his iconic score and created new and exciting sound effects and sound design exclusively for The Immersive Experience which uses a mix of live actors, movie quality sets, virtual reality (VR), digital tech and multi-sensory effects to create a complete experience.
Having been to both the musical version on the west end and seen the movies, I was excited to see how this experience was translated into one that was immersive.
Visitors can expect to travel back to 1898 and experience escaping a Martian-occupied Victorian England in an action-packed journey through the classic tale of The War of The Worlds, all set to Jeff Wayne’s iconic score. The great thing is, you don’t have to know the story before hand… you’re instantly immersed from the second the 1 hour and 50 minute experience starts.
Without giving too much away, you’ll follow George Herbert and his fiancée Carrie in their mission to survive and chronicle the 1898 Martian invasion.
Set, costumes and special effects are pretty amazing. Not only are there holographs, crazy VR experience (which had me screaming), you’ll get to slide down the claw of a Martian Handling Machine, fly to Mars and then return to Earth in a hot air balloon. Such a fun experience for sure.
The music is also great if you’re a fan of Jeff Wayne’s soundtrack. I’ve had Thunder Child in my head for some time now.
Midway through you visit The Red Weed Bar, which is exclusive to ticket holders. You’ve got about 20 mins here during intermission so it’s a nice chance to talk and have a break in between all the action. Don’t miss out on trying the cocktails, they were pretty delicious.
For those who want to witness the experience first-hand, Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience tickets are available now at https://thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com from £45-£82, (plus booking fee), Wednesday (at peak times) and Thursday – Sunday. Limited VIP tickets are also available from £120.
Written by Tegan LeBon