Highway To Hell, In A Good Way: The Curious Voyage In A Secret Location

The Curious Voyage, secret location ★★★★☆

By Johnny Fox Last edited 65 months ago

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Highway To Hell, In A Good Way: The Curious Voyage In A Secret Location The Curious Voyage, secret location 4
The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Claudia Brookes

We love a bit of immersive interactive theatre shiz: The Grift at Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel was last year’s big winner imported from San Diego. Now from Canada comes Talk is Free Theatre’s The Curious Voyage, and on a grand scale that threatens to knock Punchdrunk off the top spot.

The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Kafai Liu

From a smart hotel in Bloomsbury, via a ‘Don’t Look Now’-ish encounter in a park, you may travel through a portal to another, darker world in which you’re encouraged to answer difficult questions like ‘would you kill for love?’  ‘or for money?’ ‘and if so, how much money…?’

The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Sara Schwartz Geller

The interactive experience is merely the first half of this long afternoon’s journey into night as a bus ride — which you fervently hope is not going to the labelled destination ‘Wood Green’ (it isn’t) — could end with an eerie walk along the black waters of a canal to a custom-wrecked warehouse for a promenade performance of what may be the most London-y musical ever to win a Tony Award.

The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Claudia Brookes

Everybody involved is 100% committed — and some of the scenarios will really make you puzzle what’s going on, or what this all leads to. If we had a criticism, it’s that the interrogative afternoon and the entertaining evening take quite a bit of connecting. But the logistics are excellent and, when you get to the theatrical event at least two of the performances, Glynis Ranney and Jahlen Barnes, are entirely West End ready.

The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Claudia Brookes

Of course the greatest thing about doing this in London is that however strange the events, even if a man may be shouting at you on a pavement in Tourette’s Italian between snatches of opera, no passer-by will turn a hair.  Or come to your aid.

The Curious Voyage interactive theatre review London
Photo: Claudia Brookes

Obviously we can’t tell you too much what happens.  But we can tell you to go. Do it, you will not regret it.

The Curious Voyage, secret location, WC1.  Tickets £39-46, until 10 November 2018.

Last Updated 30 October 2018