The Dungeons - first opinions

On Monday we were lucky enough to join a few other fan and enthusiast sites to get a sneak peek behind the scenes at the the new London Dungeon. Having visited the Tooley St venue for years, we weren't sure how this new show would feel - the original site had atmosphere and history - so would this be just a set of well themed rooms in  inside a different building?

Actually, due to the level of detail in the theming and the intricacies of some of the elements - we very quickly forgot where we were and with sufficient smells and lighting, it was as immersive as we could have hoped.

Many secrets of the attraction were revealed as part of our tour and it is clear that a lot of thought has gone into things with a number of key tricks and effects hidden in the connecting corridors between shows.

With the lights on, it was impressive but what would it be like under show conditions? We were pleased to be invited on the first public tour as it was being previewed for annual passholders and so, just a few hours after walking through a quasi building site, we were back the next morning to face our fears.

The key new phrase and marketing for the Dungeon brand is "Fear is a Funny thing" and most scenes have a good mix of both fun and fear throughout. Some, such as the new Mrs Lovett's pie shop are really funny, whilst the Jack the Ripper themed Ten Bells pub was terrifying!

Saying much more about our experience yesterday morning would spoil it for people coming in, but would also be unfair to the venue as (quite understandably) there were a few operation issues that will be ironed out going forward. Several effects didn't work, two shows were held under emergency lighting and the boat ride was a very quiet and non atmospheric affair with no sound or FX in operation.

We are hoping these small issues are remedied before the VIP party tonight. The show has the potential to really become the  jewel in the crown for the Dungeon franchise and it will be great to see it all working properly

Until then - we will hold off posting a detailed review.