Review: PHANTOM PEAK: THE PLATYPUS PARADE, London

Can the best get better? In my 2022 year-end roundup, I ranked Phantom Peak as my favourite immersive show of 2022, ahead of bigger shows like Punchdrunk's The Burnt City and TV show-based drama Peaky Blinders: The Rise. The latest iteration has a new platypus theme and even more mysteries to solve but will it be enough to retain top spot?

Phantom Peak is in the prosaic area of Canada Water but, as soon as you step inside its walls, a whole world opens up. The Western theme of this eerie mining town is infused with all things steampunk meaning that you're as likely to be hanging out in the general store, drinking in the saloon or chewing the fat with the local mayor as eyeballing a robot or playing with the lo-fi tech screens dotted around the place.

On the surface, the self-proclaimed "Venice of the West" appears to be your stereotypical frontier town. Owned and run by Jonaco, we come across the standard set of inhabitants - here a mailman, there a mortician - who gradually reveal more about themselves as we engage with them. Look a little closer and see that they each have their own agendas, none of them is particularly keen to talk about the absent overlord Jonas and there are bitter rivalries, unexplained crimes and even some unethical scientific shenanigans for us to investigate.

The setting is deliberately obvious at the outset but comes with more layers than my mum's lasagne. Getting started is simple enough: pull out your phone, browse to jonassist.co, type in a password and, after being asked how comfortable you are with crawling and navigating tight spaces, whether you prefer mysteries or adventures and, on a scale of 1-10 how much you like platypuses (the choices are 10 or 10), you're off on one of eleven storylines, each of which will keep you occupied for around two hours. As well as many of the places in last year's version, there are some new areas to stick your nose into, not least Platyworld and the Cosmic Church Of The Platypus.

Phantom Peak's greatest asset is undoubtably its strong cast. Whoever you end up having a natter with, whether to ask for directions, to glean some fresh clue or just as part of a general chitchat, they all seem happy to improvise without hesitation and totally in character. Ask them anything but be wary of what you might hear: one jolly lab-coated individual hinted that he was on the lookout for some tourists to experiment on ("Jonas is very much against animal cruelty. Human cruelty...less so."). No, that's you slowly edging away. With humour influenced by the likes of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett and four hours, it's a sheer joy just to hang out and speak to the locals when you're stuck or need a breather.

In many ways, this experience is the total opposite of Punchdrunk's latest epic. The Burnt City is a visually foreboding, lyrically dark, and dramatically abstract journey through vast open indoor spaces where we very rarely interact with the characters. In contrast, Phantom Peak is very much a relaxed family-friendly experience where we get to mosey through generally well-lit indoors and outdoors environments and are able to speak to everyone we come across. Indeed, interaction is mandatory if you want to get ahead in your missions and find out about exploding rats, hidden traitors and other bizarre goings-on.

For those looking for a deep dive into a theatrically dense setup, The Burnt City is a more certain bet. Phantom Peak doesn't have the brand-name recognition of Peaky Blinders or the budget that comes with having big name sponsors like Porsche but it has an exuberance, plot depth and sense of fun that I found lacking in those other two. This year promises more much-anticipated immersive shows - not least Rumble In The Jungle, the Batman-themed Arkham and Alice's Adventures Underground - but they will have a mountain to climb to outclass this show.

Phantom Peak: The Platypus Parade is booking until 4 June.

Photo credit: Al Veryard

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