The Crash of the Elysium - Live Doctor Who Event

[Servo]

Thought one or two of you might be interested in this. As part of the International Festival in Manchester that's running through the first half of July, Punchdrunk productions are staging a live interactive Doctor Who event for the whole family to take part in.

The Crash of the Elysium is a collaboration between Punchdrunk director Felix Barrett and chief Doctor Who scriptwriter Steven Moffat, one of whom specialises in site-specific theatre events without seating and the other in television programmes best viewed from behind a sofa. The precise details of the show, which is scripted by Tom MacRae, are a closely guarded secret, beyond an ominous hint that the audience is required to face a menace that recently came first in a poll of the scariest Doctor Who adversaries, beating the Daleks into second place.

The adventure begins with a rather dry exhibition documenting the loss, in mysterious circumstances, of a Victorian steamer named the Elysium, as reported by the Manchester Guardian on 18 July 1888. But there's not much time to examine a ceramic chamber pot salvaged from the wreckage before the army bursts in proclaiming an emergency. An alien spaceship has crash-landed in the vicinity, and all must don biohazard suits before proceeding further.

What follows is not for the faint of heart or short of breath, as a fair amount of running, crouching and sweating is involved. The immediate impression of the stricken alien spacecraft is that it is very dark and ferociously hot, particularly in a plastic boiler suit. And the scale of the threat becomes clear when a video message from the Doctor reveals that the ship is a "high security art gallery" from which some of the exhibits have escaped. Without giving too much away, blink and you'll miss them.

The military chaperones take charge without seeming to be in control; and when you slip through the space-time continuum to a fairground in the 188os, there is straw underfoot, a smell of manure in the air and a genuine frisson of anxiety about how you are going to get back again.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/jul/03/punchdrunk-doctor-who-review

Sounds cool. Kinda reminds me of the Alien Experience from the 90's.

The event takes place at Manchester's MediaCity, and costs £10-£25 depending on the performance (there are three different ones - Family, Kids Only, and Adults Only). There's a video showing some kids testimonials and show schedule here.

 

[Technobuilder]

Damn, that sounds kinda neat.

Wish I wasn't half a world away.

 

[Sindatur]

Damn kids these days, get everything cool.

Why, when I was a kid we had to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow to play with Pipe cleaner toys

Most cool, I'm sure the kids will love it.

 

[Technobuilder]

Hopefully they're going to put up a video show for those of us who can't hop a pond at a moments notice.

I'm guessing this will be like The Star Trek Experience "rides" that were once in Las Vegas.

Did they ever relocate The ST Experience to Freemont St.?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Damn kids these days, get everything cool.

Why, when I was a kid we had to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow to play with Pipe cleaner toys

Most cool, I'm sure the kids will love it.

Remember the "adults only" showing, whatever that's about

Hopefully it involves both Karen Gillen & Beth Willis.

 

[Sindatur]

Damn kids these days, get everything cool.

Why, when I was a kid we had to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow to play with Pipe cleaner toys

Most cool, I'm sure the kids will love it.

Remember the "adults only" showing, whatever that's about

Hopefully it involves both Karen Gillen & Beth Willis.

Or, for those of us of a different persuasion, Captain Jack and that boy from UNIT in the Tennant Sontaran 2 Parter

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ Playing "naked twister" no doubt.

 

[OmahaStar]

Damn kids these days, get everything cool.

Why, when I was a kid we had to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow to play with Pipe cleaner toys

Most cool, I'm sure the kids will love it.

Remember the "adults only" showing, whatever that's about

Hopefully it involves both Karen Gillen & Beth Willis.

Or, for those of us of a different persuasion, Captain Jack and that boy from UNIT in the Tennant Sontaran 2 Parter

Ross, played by the delicious Christian Cooke.

 

[Butters]

Damn, that sounds kinda neat.

Wish I wasn't half a world away.

Dang. I'm not even half a county away, but if only the boy was only 6 years older...

Can't do the family session cos he's too young, and can't do the adult cos he's too young and the kids only, cos he's too young. Hope this stuff still happens in ten years time.

How times change. I recently had a team of graduates working for me that had no Doctor, an entire generation had no Doctor though some of them could remenber the original Playstation.

 

[Starkers]

Damn kids these days, get everything cool.

Why, when I was a kid we had to walk uphill, both ways, in the snow to play with Pipe cleaner toys

Most cool, I'm sure the kids will love it.

Remember the "adults only" showing, whatever that's about

Hopefully it involves both Karen Gillen & Beth Willis.

Ok I'm in, where do I get my ticket?

 

[Sindatur]

Remember the "adults only" showing, whatever that's about

Hopefully it involves both Karen Gillen & Beth Willis.

Or, for those of us of a different persuasion, Captain Jack and that boy from UNIT in the Tennant Sontaran 2 Parter

Ross, played by the delicious Christian Cooke.

Heh, I knew a post about Ross would get a post outta you

This would be so cool, I'm jealous of the kids

I imagine this is the first time an event like this would end up with the Daleks not winning?