The Hitchhiker’s Guide goes immersive – And it’s landing in London

Douglas Adams’s galaxy-sized cult classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is returning, and this time it’s immersive The satirical sci-fi juggernaut that first arrived as a BBC radio series in 1978 (before morphing into a bestselling book, a TV show, a film, and about six different fandoms) is being reimagined as a full-scale, walk-through experience right here on Earth, at London’s Riverside Studios.

The show follows Arthur Dent, a dressing-gown-wearing everyman who survives Earth’s sudden demolition (to make way for an intergalactic bypass) thanks to his friend Ford Prefect, a not-so-secret alien and researcher for the titular Guide. From pub to spaceship to the far reaches of the absurd universe, you’ll quite literally follow in Arthur’s awkward footsteps through the entire venue. Expect Vogons, paranoia, bureaucracy, existential dread, and possibly a towel.

The project is being co-created by Dirk Gently adaptor and Adams protégé Arvind Ethan David, who’s clearly decided it’s time to tackle the big one. And while immersive theatre can often be a mixed bag (are we talking full-on interaction or just very elaborate set design?), this one is boldly going for scale.

Helping things along is a suitably nerdy-luxe voice cast, with Sanjeev Bhaskar, Lenora Crichlow, and Tamsin Greig lending their pipes to pre-recorded roles, the latter taking on the job of narrating as the Guide itself, the galaxy’s most gloriously unreliable source of information.

Live actors will portray Arthur, Ford, Marvin and the rest, while audiences shuffle between scenes like confused hitchhikers without a towel. Will it work? No idea. But it’s exactly the kind of mad, genre-bending ambition that Adams would probably love. If you buy tickets, you can always get some unique merch, will will no doubt sweeten the deal for any fans out there.

You can check it out from November 15th until it finishes its run at Riverside Studios in February.

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