Monopoly Lifesized: Immersive new experience to open in London this August

Board game Monopoly will come to life in a brand new immersive experience launching in London in August.

Monopoly Lifesized is teased as a “new, participatory gameplay attraction bringing together the best of the iconic board game, escape rooms and team challenge”.

Described as “the first of its kind in the world”, the experience is due to open in London on 14 August 2021. Tickets are on sale now from monopolylifesized.com.

All the most well-loved elements of a classic MONOPOLY gameplay have been translated into an exciting 4D experience on a full-sized board that teams of players will move around, participating in challenges as they go in order to acquire properties, earning money as they PASS GO, GO TO JAIL, picking up a CHANCE CARD and maybe getting lucky landing on FREE PARKING…

MONOPOLY LIFESIZED is an immersive, on-your-feet version of the world’s favourite family game brand. Experience the thrill of trying to stage a heist in Mayfair, competing against a clock to build some of London’s iconic buildings, solving a baffling murder mystery, stepping into the world of codebreakers…

The Monopoly Lifesized experience will take place at 213 – 215 Tottenham Court Road, a 22,000sq ft building over three floors in the heart of the West End: The Court – the first in a series of central London venues dedicated to live gameplay.

As well as three individually designed and unique main gameplay boards, plus a junior board, the building will also house a retail outlet and Monopoly themed bar and restaurant.

As for how it all works, organisers share: “Monopoly Lifesized will consist of a 75-minute gameplay segment on a 15 x 15m board, featuring 8 Properties, 2 Utility Companies, 2 Train Stations, Jail, Free Parking, Go, and Just Visiting. Each board can host between 8 and 24 people split into 4 teams, all playing against each other. Each team will have their own personal Monopoly token –, Scottie Dog, Boot, Racing Car, etc. – leading them around the game, taking scores, and giving hints where required.

“Each property square will have a full-sized location specific room behind it that players enter to participate in a challenge to ‘acquire’ that particular property. The challenges will be a mixture of physical and mental puzzles and games that will test players’ skills and lateral thinking, and will be themed appropriately for the square, featuring either some historical or current day relationship with that part of London.”

Monopoly Lifesized will be created by a team drawn from across the immersive theatre, tech and escape room worlds: creative producers are Tom Beynon and Paul Mansfield, with set design by Tim McQuillen-Wright (designer for Secret Cinema experiences Stranger Things, Blade Runner, and Moulin Rouge), costume design by Sarah Mercade , sound design by Luke Swaffield, Production Management by Entourage, and Scenic Construction by Scene2. Clockwork Dog are Gameplay Consultants and Operations bringing on board their extensive experience in designing and building immersive and technically impressive escape room games.

The venue will be COVID-secure, following all of the latest government guidelines.

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

 

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