The twisted treasure hunt takes a new turn

A fully interactive ‘Crystal Maze’ opening in London to recreate live experience of the 1990s TV show

Children of the ’90s, you have reason to rejoice! Remember watching Crystal Maze and hoping that you could be a part of the adventure game show? That dream can finally come true. According to The Guardian, a fully interactive Crystal Maze is opening in London this autumn.

Theatre company Little Lion Entertainment is developing an immersive visitor attraction based on the popular TV show which will allow members of the public to try their hand at games that they had previously only been able to watch on TV. The best part about this interactive attraction is that the original team behind the show has been roped in for this new project.



That means, Richard O’Brien, the presenter of the programme, will be a part of it as well. Although he won’t be hosting it, he will be welcoming guests in a time honoured fashion. “Anyone who watched the TV show in the ’90s will obviously be excited about it,” said artistic director Tom Lionetti-Maguire. “It was such a strong show in its day – but I think even people who have never seen it will be thrilled to try it. It has the perfect mix of nostalgia, but also something modern and relevant.”

The attraction also fits with the rise in popularity of real life escape games, in which participants have to escape from a locked room by cracking a series of puzzles. The ticket is priced at GBP50, and the experience is expected to last an hour and 45 minutes. It will be possible to take part as an individual and join a team, or you can create a team of eight and compete with your friends. It will also be possible to book the entire maze for parties or work events.

“It will be like a lot of the immersive game experiences you see at the moment,” he added. “But with a heightened production value.”The show’s Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Futuristic and Crystal Dome zones (but not the Ocean Zone – due to “health and safety”) will be reassembled for ticket holders to enjoy.



Explaining their decision to not bring back The Crystal Maze as a TV show, Tom and executive producers Ben Hodges, Dean Rodgers and Malcolm Heyworth said: “Modern audiences want to do, not watch. In recent years, there has been a cultural shift towards entertainment that audiences can engage in a more active way. The Crystal Maze represents the perfect opportunity to do something for this new audience on a grand scale,” they said.

“The same audience who want more active entertainment are the ones who watched The Crystal Maze growing up – making this not just an innovative idea, but a dream come true for many people, including us!” the team added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th,  2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.