Review: PHANTOM PEAK: WINTERMAS, London

And now, the end is near and Phantom Peak will soon face its final curtain at their Canada Water site. Wipe away the tears, though: a new location is apparently in the works for this hilarious slice of immersive theatre.

Ask those who really know London from the underground up about the best hidden away secrets and the same answers will usually roll out. There’s the fascinating late-night candle-lit tours of the Sir John Soanes Museum. The dark and delicious Double R Club, the capital’s enduring cabaret tribute to the king of quirk David Lynch. Then there's the terrace of One New Change where, with mojito in one hand and lover in the other, you can wander the rooftop area, look out over the City and examine the cupola of St Paul’s Cathedral at close range.

Few, though, will cite this interactive video game-like playground even some three years after it opened. That’s a shame as it is one of the most widely accessible events around; it’s not unusual to find oneself sharing space with a bunch of cosplaying megafans, family groups replete with excited children, and young couples with a baby strapped to one of their fronts. 

And, like a first-time spell in prison, no-one walks out of this Wild West-slash-steampunk town quite the same way they walked in. That might be down at least in part to an engaging cast that pull us into all kinds of shenanigans or the epic amount of stomping around required to solve one or more of the ten different seasonal missions (or, in the in-world parlance, trails); an eleventh trail exists but only for those dedicated enough to have completed the rest.

Even if the trails aren’t your jam, there’s the free-to-play in-world arcade machines and carnival games, a well-stocked bar with beers, season-specific cocktails and a robochef serving up hot food. The town still has a platypus fetish so feel free to track down Father Platmus (who, as the final ceremony reveals, has his own agenda) or hang out in the Church of The Platypus where purple-clad priest Pius holds court. The more competitive among you will love Platyhooks where you can attempt to fish out as many toy versions of the curious mammal out of the lake. 

No two seasons are the same here and Wintermas (its penultimate season) is a special time of year for Phantom Peak. Part secular tribute to that event, part excuse for some epic themed japery in the style of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, there is plenty of new content to get stuck into. Capitalism and consumerism have reared their ugly heads in the town and we are pulled into a variety of stories that explore these subjects. 

Creative Director Nick Moran has flipped the Punchdrunk formula on its head. Instead of the crepuscular atmosphere, dark rooms and the very occasional chat with the cast, everything here has a tone that is cheerfully zany with a side order of cheeky cynicism. He also keeps a tight rein on the plotlines and the overall story arc. The last season ended on something of a cliffhanger as Mayor Pocket was deposed by town owners Jonaco for failing to capture escaped fugitives. In their place, the Head of Marketing Lovehart has been elevated to the role of Temporary Mayor while the town figures out who should get the role on a long-term basis.

The challenges time around see us interacting with the dozen-plus cast members as we investigate dodgy plans by a railway firm to bulldozer Datchery’s general store, get up close and personal with film director Edgar Allan Crowe and his brother Squawk, and investigate the latest shenanigans of Barker St’s finest detectives Sherlock Bones and Dogtor Watson. Perigate meanwhile is looking to keep their pesky and pestering parents away from her partner and Lovehart needs our assistance to hold onto their beloved job.

Genuinely fun, innovative, inclusive and affordable creations like Phantom Peak don’t come around too often to London. If the rumours are true, it only has a few months left at its current site. Time to saddle up.

Phantom Peak: Wintermas runs until 22 February.