E arlier this week I was invited along to the opening night of Brightons newest tourist attraction, Phileas Foggs World of Adventures and it was so much fun. Located a little out of town (just a short bus ride away), I seem to have missed the hype surrounding its arrival (perhaps because I was pregnant) and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The invitation said we were invited to a ‘new immersive, theatrical experience’ and our instructions were to meet at Brighton Station at 6pm. All very mysterious and rather exciting.
When we arrived we were transported back in time to 1870 with actors dressed in full costume welcoming us to the experience. The costumes were fantastic and really set the scene. We were divided into groups of up to 10 and told we were to accompany eccentric explorer, Phileas Fogg on his expedition around the world as he attempted to win a £20,000 wager.
After a few nibbles and some bubbly, it was time to begin. We all gathered around the entrance and were ushered through a door where we were taken back to Paris in 1870….. I won’t say too much about what happened from thereon in as we weren’t allowed to take photos so I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I can say that we travelled around the world with Phileas Fogg himself, collecting artefacts and solving puzzles along the way.
Designed by Brighton based design team Craft Work who’ve worked on major blockbusters such as Skyfall, Fantastic Beasts and Pirates of the Caribbean in the past. The sets were outstanding with smells, textures and special effects all adding to the authenticity of the experience. Even the most introvert of people would have been hard pressed not to get involved. The actors were brilliant, creating tension as we worked our way through the rooms and towards the end we were all racing around trying to collect pieces of each puzzle and solve it before time ran out.
What made the experience more enjoyable is the fact that we had five children in our group all aged between 7 and 11. They all really got into the experience, darting off to solve the puzzles as soon as we entered the next country. To see the excitement in their faces and their imaginations work overdrive was really special and I know the experience is going to be a total hit for that alone.
There are two types of experience on offer: one catering to families with children and one, slightly darker and more challenging option for adult only groups. There’s also a themed bar, billiard room, lounge bar with stage, board room and tea garden, all beautifully designed and perfect for private parties.
If you’d like to find out more I’ve provided a link to the website below www.phileasfoggsworldofadventures.co.uk and a physical box office will be located outside Brighton Station next to The Queens Head pub.
