80 Days: A Real-World Adventure
Underbelly Festival Southbank
Reviewed – 25th July 2019
★★★★
“bring a curious mind and a competitive spirit and you’re guaranteed to have a jolly good time”
80 Days: A Real World Adventure by Fire Hazard Games is a live, interactive role play (that includes using your phone as part of the game) where participants have eighty minutes to dash around London and make necessary purchases for their expedition. In order to do this there are riddles to solve and clues to collect. The more money you accumulate, from solving each challenge, the more purchases you can make for your expedition which heightens your chance of winning.
Greeted by Marta Kane (stage manager) at the Underbelly Festival on the Southbank, we were provided a pre-adventure debrief whilst our team names were confirmed. Although many people play as a group, teams can be singular or up to five members.
We were then introduced to the rather spiffily dressed Pendleton “The Baron” (Nicholas Anscombe) who explained, with great enthusiasm, the task ahead and started all the competitors on their way. On our journey we met a few other exciting characters such as the feisty, no nonsense American explorer, Nightingale “The Navigator” (Kelly Long) and the ever kind and rational Hawkins “The Botanist” (Matt Vickery).
Fire Hazard Games make “…high-energy real-life games…to make competitive, character-led experiences with players at the centre.” 80 Days: A Real World Adventure is no exception. It cleverly encourages the exploration of London by immersing the players into a theatrical treasure hunt. It’s an ingenious way to incentivise even the most jaded Londoner to open their eyes with renewed wonder, as they discover previously unnoticed gems that only a city like London keeps.
Of course the actors were a fundamental element of the whole production. Friendly, witty and completely dedicated to their roles, Long, Hawkins and Anscombe were a pleasure to watch and interact with. They also displayed great empathy and patience to those who, perhaps, required a little more time to figure out the logistics of the game. The attention to detail did not go unnoticed, from the character’s costumes to the layout of our maps. Much kudos to Elizabeth Simoens (Lead Game Designer and Production Manager) and the whole creative team whose efforts and directing choices have positively paid off.
80 Days: A Real World Adventure is something fun and different to do around London. It would serve as a brilliant birthday gift and is an innovative way to go sightseeing. When you embark on this wild caper, be sure to bring comfortable shoes and sustenance to keep you going on your voyage. Most importantly, bring a curious mind and a competitive spirit and you’re guaranteed to have a jolly good time.
Reviewed by Pippin
Photography by Sofia Romualdo
80 Days: A Real-World Adventure
Underbelly Festival Southbank until 29th September
Previously reviewed at this venue:
Soap | ★★★★★ | May 2018
Circa: Peepshow | ★★★½ | July 2018
Little Mermaid Circus Sensation | ★★★½ | July 2018
Aliens Love Underpants | ★★★★★ | August 2018
Black Cat: Bohemia | ★★★★★ | August 2018
Little Death Club | ★★★★ | April 2019
On Reflection | ★★★★★ | May 2019
Transit | ★★★★ | May 2019
Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com
