Time for some magic. I want you all to sit back and relax. Now name three people you can think of from World War II – but not anyone related to your family. Think hard about them. OK. I’m going to make a prediction. Everyone you are thinking of have three things in common: One, they are men. Two, they are white and three, they are English/American. Because those were the only people that took part and won the Second World War weren’t they? We all know, that in reality millions from all walks of life were involved in the war. Quite a lot will have fitted the stereotype above, but a significant number didn’t. All have a story to tell and some of these stories are truly amazing and can be discovered in the immersive show Hidden Figures: WW2 at the Colab Factory.
This really is an immersive production which starts well before you arrive at the location. The instructions you receive are comprehensive and highly secret – I’m facing a potential prosecution under the Official Secrets Act for telling you as much as I am. However, once you arrive and get through the various stages to ensure you are not some form of foreign agent and get into the Mess, you then find out who you are going to be for the rest of the evening, Read all of your character’s documentation thoroughly – you will need to know who you are – before you are taken off to enter the shadowy world of the SOE.
Obviously, I can’t tell you too much about what happens from now on but what I can say is that playwright Paul King has put together an extremely well researched and written experience that delves into some amazing real-life stories whilst providing an entertaining evening for the participants. One of the first things I did on getting home was to ‘google’ my character, and their story was fascinating. I would definitely recommend you do the same, There is nothing ordinary about these people and each is truly amazing in their own right.
So, Paul has a list of people with extraordinary tales to tell of their lives and, with Director Zoe Flint, has put together a highly entertaining scenario in which to tell them. Along with a very impressive group of actors and a wonderfully detailed set in which to move. The – for want of a better word ‘participants’ – are guided through some pretty intensive moments as they complete their training and, hopefully, return to the Mess for their final reward.
Thinking about Hidden Figures: WW2 and this was such an easy show to review. My companion on the night, who is not renowned for getting over-excited at shows, said “so that’s 5 stars then?” as soon as we started discussing the experience. I have to agree with him. The production works on every level. It’s like Paul and his team have taken the BBC’s mission statement “inform, educate and entertain” and made their personal mantra when putting Hidden Figures: WW2 together. There isn’t much more that I can say about the show other than to recommend that you get your act together and answer your country’s call at this hour of need by getting a ticket as soon as possible.
Review by Terry Eastham for www.LondonTheatre1.com
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