The West Review – COLAB Theatre
Following the success of Crooks 1926, COLAB Theatre bring a new immersive experience to the heart of South London. Blending theatre, gaming and escape rooms, The West invites the audiences to learn cowboy tricks, catch bandits, gamble and more. Unlike some immersive events The West is a free-roam immersive show with the audience getting involved directly in the story as it unfolds.
The venue, COLAB Tavern, is a converted London pub that has been transformed into the Wild West. Following a sandstorm which destroyed the fictional town, all that is left is the tavern and church. On arrival you are greeted by the Mayor, her husband the Sheriff, and their preacher son Francis. It was a slight laborious entry process with everyone being ticked off but I’m sure this will become more streamlined as time goes on.
Following the introductions, the audience is split into groups to take part in various missions. There was a lot of improvisation from both actors and attendees and the setup allowed for individuals to choose how much they got involved. I was tasked with finding out information from a robbery victim and finding a wanted man. I took it upon myself to go all in and even threw out my Southern Belle accent. One of the actors told my friend that she loved our enthusiasm and that we had her cracking up.
The actors really embraced the roles and the spirit of The Wild West and were really creative in their performances. To remain in character when a lot of the interactions rely on audience participation is a real talent. Especially when your audience goes completely left field when it comes to the climax of the story. In true Wild West style, the show culminations in a stand-off with the bandits. And I can’t imagine anyone else had a dynamite strapped elephant protecting the rebuilt strip club.
The show ends with an unexpected twist but with all the different narratives you could easily see this show twice. If you don’t feel as involved as you could be or want to try a different storyline just speak to a cast member. The West is a great night out, especially if you want to escape reality and play a character for a bit. Another hit from COLAB Theatre!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
