Review: PHANTOM PEAK: HALLOWED PEAK - THE LUNAR FESTIVAL
Photo credit: Alistair Veryard
In the last ten years, ‘immersive experiences’ of all flavours have become almost commonplace. Even Secret Cinema is not-so-secret anymore. This has pushed immersive theatre to be more detailed, more interactive, with higher production value.
Running in London since 2022, Phantom Peak describes itself as an ‘immersive open-world adventure’ and is a truly unique interactive experience, with a cult-following of repeat-attendees made up of a mixture of gamers, film buffs and theatre enthusiasts.
The company behind this production have historically worked in creating escape rooms and Secret Cinema experiences, and the same elements of play and interaction and detailed scenic world-building have made their way into the world of Phantom Peak.
It is difficult to prepare yourself for a visit to Phantom Peak – the summation of the town’s lore on the website is baffling and it is difficult to get a firm handle on what this adventure has in store. But once welcomed into the town, it is all too easy to get swept up in the delightfully silly stories and the endless array of games, puzzles, sets, shops and kooky characters.
Going into the experience, you could find its four-hour duration daunting, especially after a full work day, but time passes quickly in Phantom Peak and the independence of the adventure, which is entirely audience-driven, means that you can progress at your own pace, chasing as many mysteries as possible, or grab a boozy hot chocolate and just chill out by the canal if you so wish.
Audiences are invited to use the ‘Jonassist’ website which, after a short questionnaire, will assign you a mission adventure, walking you through tasks and puzzles that take you around the town. It’s difficult to gauge how many of these story narratives there are but the creators have made enough that it never feels like audience members are clashing and competing for the same aims. And certainly enough to make you desperate return to explore more stories.
In this iteration, the town is celebrating the Lunar Festival and there are some seasonal spooky twists to the experience, including a menu of themed cocktails – mixing spicy autumnal flavours with some lurid coloured liquids for a fun Halloween-y accompaniment to your play.
The performers at Phantom Peak are funny, friendly and generous with their time and interactions. Whether directly from your interactions with performers, or from cryptic symbols, signs and games dotted around the set, there are opportunities to explore side quests and missions, so there’s never the risk of getting stuck or held up on one mission.
It’s perhaps not worth getting too bogged down in the plot, which is a wonderfully insane cornucopia of cult religion, criminal platypuses, revolutionary insurgents, blimp crashes and alien spaceships. The best way to enjoy Phantom Peak is to go with it – forget about expectations because this will exceed them in every way.
Phantom Peak is a joyful, wacky romp. If you’re keen to get into the Halloween spirit, don’t miss the chance to book for the Lunar Festival!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett
