The Hollow Hotel - The Biscuit Factory, London
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
PRESENTED by differencENGINE, The Hollow Hotel runs at The Biscuit Factory from April 9, 2018.
Sometimes murder weapons are three storeys high, with a beautiful lobby and lounge. Welcome to The Hollow Hotel.
Inspired by the real life murder hotel designed and operated by 19th century serial killer H. H. Holmes, immersive theatre company differencENGINE (Heist) place participants in the driving seat of their experience – your choices will have ramifications, can you trust your instincts?
After its unexpected closure, The Hollow Hotel is reopening its doors and invites you to its grand re-opening. But if you listen to the whispers in its winding corridors, you might lose yourself as each turn entices you to delve further in; until you can’t turn back. Journey through a maze of hidden passageways that will either lay you to rest, or lead you further into the hotels dark heart.
Uncover the hotels intricate histories, dark secrets and hidden agendas – whoever built The Hollow Hotel built a literal death trap; designed just for you.
differencENGINE’s new immersive interactive survival mystery takes inspiration from the historical horror of America’s first and most terrifying serial killer – H.H.Holmes – the man whose preferred instrument of murder was a hotel.
differencENGINE are an Off West End nominated immersive and interactive theatre company, co-founded by Jon Cooper and Andrew Somerville in 2014. Their debut show Heist was initially meant to run for three weeks, it ran for nine months and sold out in minutes, astounding audiences and partners alike. Heist saw audiences breaking into a building, interacting through headsets and cameras and attempting to steal a painting without being caught.
In 2015, differencENGINE were commissioned by Electronic Arts UK to create Battlefield Hardline: Live, a high adrenaline, high stakes interactive experience based on the criminal fantasies of the game. In 2017, the company collaborated with Historic Royal Palaces to create The People’s Revolt at the Tower of London. This dramatic re-imagining of the 1381 Peasants Revolt had audiences infiltrating the Tower, disrupting live broadcasts, hacking gate systems and presiding over life and death. The production sold out its initial run so quickly it was immediately scheduled for a return later in the year.
Central to the company’s ethos is creating theatre that immerses a participant into a world where they are both protagonist and hero whilst exploring the boundaries of technology in performance.
The cast of The Hollow Hotel includes Phoebe Batteson-Brown, James Bryant, Clare Buckingham, Sadie Clark, Joseph Cullen, Amy Flemming, Alex Gilbert, Gemskii, Zack Polanski, Kyle Ross and Joel Samuels.
The Hollow Hotel is directed by Jon Cooper and Andrew Somerville and designed by Kat Heath.
The Hollow Hotel is suitable for ages 18+.
Tickets: Full Price – £43, Rush Tickets – £30, Preview Tickets (April 9 – 14) – £23. To book, visit differencengine.co.uk/the-hollow-hotel/.
Running Time: 60 – 90 minutes (no interval).
The Biscuit Factory, Top Floor Block F, 100 Clements Road, Bermondsey, SE16 4DU