A weekly feature pointing you towards the current experiences that have people talking.
For people who feel like they need a nap after escape rooms…
Escape Night [FRANCE]**
Nestled in the sleepy commune of Savigny-su-Braye sits a humble country manor that is in actuality an entire escape house so complex that it kindly offers you two meals and a full night’s sleep on your way to solving it. You and your friends are the latest guests of The Scarlet Lodge; once a playground for France’s elite, now quiet following a mysterious death and rumors of the paranormal and occult. Investigating this mystery to its grim conclusion is no small thing, which is why you and your fellow detectives are beneficiaries of the Lodge’s hospitality for a whopping sixteen hours overnight. With the entire grounds fair game for exploration decked out in gothically-resplendent decor and a cast of thoroughly spooky characters supplying the hot and cold running chills, this is one puzzling bed and breakfast where you may hang a sign on your doorknob bidding them “Do Disturb."
Why we think you’ll love it: For those who would shy away from such a long reservation, the Lodge offers an abbreviated daytime visit eschewing the creature comforts of the overnight and focusing solely on the narrative for a still not inconsiderable four hour stay.
For people who know which of their friends they'll stick with during the zombie apocalypse...
Obaken Zombie Camp [TOKYO]**
Japan-based horror company Obaken rechristens a bloody tradition with a rustic night of getting in touch with nature, cooking out under the stars, and adrenaline-spiking abject terror. One hundred participants are bussed to a forest hours outside of Tokyo where they pitch their tents in a designated “safe zone,” though the tents themselves are their only true sanctuary. Throughout their overnight stay teams of campers must brave the neighboring aptly named “danger zone” on a series of missions, including one to retrieve the only food provided during their stay. What follows has been described as “the bloodiest game of tag” as a horde of actors in appropriately grisly prosthetics and makeup chase you around abandoned buildings and trees at levels of speed and ferocity that will certainly earn you your fire-baked pizza and boozy fireside chats with fellow horror enthusiasts. But beware— as the night wears on, you may find that zombies rarely respect labels, borders, or personal space.
Why we think you’ll love it: At one point an annual tradition, Obaken is bringing this popular experience back for the first time in four years.
For people who still need to heal after GoT Season 8…
Dragon Show: Extended Tail [LOS ANGELES]
Spybrunch, one of the great old houses of LA Immersive, revives and expands its effervescent fantasy musical less than a year after its initial run. Step through the veil into a realm of whimsey in this unabashedly twee stroll through a cluttered garden populated by fairies exuding a delightful mix of saccharine and sinister. Hear their stories, eat their food, and be prepared for a surprise or two as the true purpose of your visit reveals itself. With a cast as playfully charming as they are irrepressibly sincere and lovingly rendered stagecraft that will have you believing in magic, this fully interactive yarn is a disarmingly profound rumination on the dangers of holding on to old hurts and the wonder of viewing the world with fresh, curious eyes.
Why we think you’ll love it: With this revival comes a significant increase to the run time, which includes more songs, more food, and new alternate endings dependent on audience choice. More than enough reason to give this tail a first or second shake.
**These listings were suggested by community member Lia Wollman. Thanks, Lia! Have an upcoming/ongoing immersive experience that has you buzzing? Point it out to us through pitches@noproscenium.com with the subject line "Trailheads" and we might include it in the next issue!