O N T H E S C E N E
L O N D O N
Whodunnit?
Find the clues, solve the puzzles, identify the culprit...
It’s all in a day’s work in this ‘real’ murder mystery
i’m hiding under a duvet
with two others, trying to stifle
the giggles as a row ensues. After hours of hunting
down clues around the city, we’d been led to the dingy,
Fitzrovia flat belonging to legendary Brazilian footballer
Randhino. As the intrepid detectives hired to solve the
mystery – who killed Range Rovers Club owner Sheik
Yabouti on a flight to London? – we’d reached a crucial
point, but were interrupted and made to hide. Manager
Jock Strap was at the door and furious. He’d just found
out Randhino had also been on the same flight…
Welcome to the wonderful world of interactive
gaming at the hands of London murder-mystery
masters, A Door in a Wall. Specialising in putting on
“
real world adventures” across the UK’s capital, the
team’s creative – and rather comical – flair has captured
enough imaginations to see them go from putting on odd
events for friends to becoming a commercial enterprise
hoping to run upwards of 50 events a year.
“
I’ve consistently been amazed at howmuch
people seem to enjoy them,”
says company
founder
TomWilliams, an investment seller in the real
world. “It started out as a bit of fun, but as
demand grew, so did the scale of events. The aim
is always to create a unique experience, to send
players into some bizarre or hilarious situation,
aided by actor interactions, amongst the streets
and landmarks they might walk past every day.”
Unique is certainly the word for these
extensive treasure hunts. After an initial briefing and
equipping of “tools”, the game begins. Getting about by
Tube, bus, bike or foot, players collect information for
anything up to six hours, scrabbling down grimy East
End alleys, bartering in Camden Market and completing
tasks at London landmarks. Clues could be anywhere:
inside fortune cookies, at the end of arcade games, on a
car dashboard or in the hands of a flamboyant individual
(
aka a hired actor) who requires a favour in return.
With the company’s last murder quest selling out in
under 10 minutes and few spaces left for all 26 runs of
their May event, Dead Man’s Hand, it seems A Door in a
Wall have hit – or was it strangled? – on something big.
They’re also not the only ones taking advantage of the
real-world game board. Events like historically themed
parties, interactive cinemas, zombie experiences and
immersive theatre are all becoming regular London
weekend activities, as companies plug into city dwellers’
need to escape without actually
leaving the capital.
“
The primary objective is always
to create something fun,” says Tom.
“
As long as our players are having
a good time, we’ve succeeded.”
adoorinawall.com
WORDS
VICKY LANE
PHOTO
JOHN WILKES
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