Doctor Who: Time Fracture
On Thursday evening I ventured out to Immersive Everywhere’s interactive theatre production of Doctor Who: Time Fracture. Billed as a ground-breaking immersive theatrical adventure that puts fans at the heart of the production and plunges theatre goers into the incredible universe of Doctor Who it certainly delivered all it promised.
Now the first rule of Doctor Who: Time Fracture is that you don’t talk about Doctor Who: Time Fracture. With many different tracts to explore the main appeal of this immersive theatrical production is that you could visit any number of times and have a completely different experience every night, so apologies in advance if I keep the details intentionally vague so…no spoilers.
Upon arrival at the tucked away Unified Intelligence Taskforce or U.N.I.T. Headquarters near Bond Street station you are immediately checked in by U.N.I.T. grunts and led, in small groups, into a holding room complete with cloakroom. I am not one for utilising cloakrooms at the theatre but it is a must here, as it leaves you completely free to enjoy the experience unhindered, though don’t part with your phone you may need it later. The smaller groups are then briefed by various scientists as to the situation at hand and led in to U.N.I.T.’s main room where we encounter the Time Fracture itself. Something to note is that if you are near the front of the queue you get more time in this room then if you are toward the back.
I won’t go in to too much detail about the show itself, as I said no spoilers, but I did find that there was a strange juxtaposition of a few areas where we seemed to spend a bit too much time not really doing very much to further the story, U.N.I.T. HQ for example, and in the second room where, though perfectly capturing the chaotic nature of Doctor Who, I could have done with spending a bit more time as there was far more to see and do. I was lucky in that I linked up with a cast member who led me through a part of the experience that included a large portion of the main storyline but you could easily miss out on some key points if you don’t explore the area fully. Our guides did keep saying to explore all the areas within the room but I could see how you might feel better sticking with your original guide.
All 43 actors within the experience were without question exceptional. Fantastic both with what was the scripted storyline as well as at improvising with the volunteers. My personal favourites that I encountered were my Fez wearing guide through the main chunk of the storyline and William Shakespeare both of whom were incredibly funny, passionate about what they were performing and excellent at shepherding us along.
The set, lighting and sound were all incredible and created a perfect atmosphere where you truly believed anything could happen at any moment. I also must mention the two singers who entertained us during intermission in the bar, yes there are multiple bars throughout the experience, who were out of this world, if you’ll excuse the pun. There is also an opportunity at the end of the experience to take pictures back at U.N.I.T. HQ and the T.A.R.D.I.S. even makes an appearance which I think was a nice touch.
Overall if you are a Doctor Who fan in any capacity this is a production not to be missed with all of the fan favourite villains making an appearance as well as several Doctors. If you’re not a Doctor Who fan you may find yourself adrift within the storyline at points but I still think you would have an enjoyable evening. For me, and the experience I had on the night it’s 4 stars but as an overall theatrical production I think the structure itself still has some room for improvement.
Review by Alexandria Wharram
You can find out more about Dr Who Time Fracture and book tickets on their website here.
If you like this review you might like my reviews of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Groan Ups and The Battersea Poltergeist Live.