dotdotdot

• Prolific composer Jeff Wayne has partnered with cutting-edge ‘layered reality’ company dotdotdot to re-imagine his Musical Work which has enthralled generations over the last forty years
• Now with immersive theatre, virtual reality, holograms and other state-of-the-art technology, audiences will believe they are living within the experience
• Opening at The Old London Metal Exchange in the heart of the City of London on 31 May 2019.
• Tickets, starting at £39.50, will be available from 10am on Friday 30 November at dotdot.london/TWOTW 

LONDON, 30 November:Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of ‘The War of The Worlds’, the best-selling album that terrified generations over the last forty years, is being transformed into a pioneering immersive visitor experience, titled Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of ‘The War of the Worlds’: The Immersive Experience, set to open on 31 May 2019.

 

Jeff’s Musical Version reached the Top 10 in 22 countries and No.1 in 11 of them. Now ‘The War of The Worlds’ will be venturing into new territory - virtual reality, with partners dotdotdot, allowing audiences to step into HG Wells’ dark Victorian tale.  The multisensory experience will combine Jeff’s Musical Version, immersive theatre, virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms and other cutting-edge technology giving audiences the chance to live through the Martian invasion of 1898.

Visitors will be thrust into the heart of the story from the moment they step inside The Old London Metal Exchange; a22,000-square foot multi-level site in Central London being transformed for this unique Martian adventure. VR headsets and multisensory storytelling techniques will stimulate the senses: visitors will be able to smell the grass and feel the chill of the story’s famous Horsell Common and physically feel the ground shake as the first cylinder lands. 

Live and virtual actors will guide small groups as they walk, crawl and slide through different scenes, like Primrose Hill where the Martians meet their demise, Ogilvy’s Observatory in Woking where we see the first cylinder leave Mars and the Essex seafront where the battle between the Martians and the ironclad, Thunder Child meets its climatic end.

Over ninety minutes, visitors will experience all the emotions from the story. From the eerie calm of being served real-life tea in a Victorian household while Martians roam outside, to the awe-inspiring wonder of witnessing an enormous Martian Fighting Machine rise above them in virtual reality.

Jeff Wayne, composer/producer of The Musical Version of ‘The War of The Worlds’ describes his involvement in the immersive experience:

"It’s incredible to work with dotdotdot. Taking my Musical Version of ‘The War of The Worlds’ and turning it into a virtual reality experience is groundbreaking, and I can’t wait to ‘live’ it myself.”

Andrew McGuinness, founder and CEO of dotdotdot describes what the experience will be like:

“By using technology in a way never been seen before, we are able to allow people to step within and feel part of the story rather than simply observing from the outside. The scale of the production, the music, next generation tech and theatre will work together to immerse the audience in the production in a way that will shock, surprise and delight. Guests will also experience the same emotions they would feel if they were actually living within the story, from joy to genuine fear.”

Visitors will end their experience in an extraordinary ‘steampunk’ themed bar that will use digital technology to transform their surroundings.

‘The War of The Worlds’ Immersive Experience is the second production from dotdotdot, a rapidly scaling experiential business which is disrupting the experience industry with its innovative use of cutting-edge technology and storytelling. Its first production, SOMNAI, selling out its run in London earlier in 2018, with over 20,000 customers.

Tickets which include exclusive ‘first chance to see’ packages are available to purchase from today at www.dotdot.london/TWOTW

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For more information, images and interviews please contact Kallaway on thewaroftheworlds@kallaway.com or +44 20 7221 7883

Event location

Old Metal Exchange

52-56 Leadenhall Street

London

EC3M 5JE

 

Ticket Pricing – From £39.50

• Opening weekend ticket price - £74.50
• Standard junior (age 12 – 15) ticket in advance - £39.50
• Standard adult (age 16+) ticket in advance - £49.50
• VIP and Drinks packages starting at £169.00

 

The attraction will have a 12+ age restriction.

 

Notes to Editors

About Dotdotdot

Ellipsis (trading as ‘dotdotdot’) is a VR-led entertainment business that brings a digital model to the high-growth experience economy. Customers of dotdotdot experiences are taken to another world – using tech (VR, AR, etc.), theatre (sets, actors) and physical elements (taste, temperature, touch and aroma). Their proof of concept, SOMNAI, attracted over 20,000 customers over just four months.   Their next experience is based upon Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of ‘The War of The Worlds’, a franchise that has sold over 15m+ double albums and over 1m tickets to its touring Arena show.

About Jeff Wayne

Born in Forest Hills, New York, Jeff Wayne is an award-winning composer, arranger, conductor and producer including for stage, film, TV, records, advertising and interactive projects.

 

He’s worked with The Who, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, Taron Egerton, Adrian Edmonson, Russell Watson, Rhydian, Jason Donovan, The London Symphony Orchestra and Choir, Justin Hayward, David Essex, Phil Lynott, Human League, Orbital, Todd Terry, N-Trance, Dario G, Hybrid, Pendulum, Croatian piano virtuoso Maksim, Kerry Ellis, Ricky Wilson, Marti Pellow, Joss Stone, Maverick Sabre, Alex Clare, Gary Barlow and Liam Neeson. His music has been performed at tennis tournaments, gymnasts (2012 Olympic Games), jugglers, dancers, ice skaters, magicians, fire-eaters, animals and ‘Ali G’ on the 2005 MTV Awards and danced to by Pixie Lott on 2014s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’!

Jeff’s musical interpretation of HG Wells’ ‘The War of The Worlds’ has achieved international acclaim, winning two UK 'Ivor Novello' Awards and the USA’s 'Best Recording in Science Fiction and Fantasy', (with Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg judging). With multi-million sales, it’s also amongst the longest running albums in UK chart history, currently over 330 weeks and in 2018 was ranked No 32 in the UK’s favorite and best-selling UK albums of all time.

In 2004, Jeff created 'The Book of Tennis' following in 2005 producing and scoring the television series - 'The Book of Tennis Chronicles' distributed by Fox Sports.

In 2006, the arena tour - 'The War of The Worlds – Alive on Stage'! was launched, with Jeff conducting a renowned cast with audiences and critics hailing it as one of the most innovative marriages of music, technology and live performance.

A DVD filmed at London’s Wembley Arena hit No 1 for 7 straight weeks in the UK’s Music DVD charts, and broadcast on Sky Movies. In 2007 Jeff won Classic Rock’s 'Showman of The Year Award'.

‘Alive on Stage!' returned in 2007, 2009 and 2010 across the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A new tour - 'The New Generation' was launched in late 2012, then again in 2014, followed by a Season at the London Dominion in 2016. In 2018, ‘TWOTW’ returns to UK arenas with its biggest production yet. And to close off 2018, a 5-hour musical drama for Audible of ‘TWOTW’ is due for release featuring Michael Sheen, Taron Egerton and other leading actors and an EP titled: ‘Pianos, Strings and Some Other Things’ – 4 tracks from ‘TWOTW’ re-imagined by Jeff, and again for Sony Music.

2019 sees a dramatic new presentation of Jeff’s musical version being launched in June as a virtual reality experience in 22,000+ square feet at London’s old Metal Exchange.

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