Fancy a night out these days? Choosing what to do can feel like a never-ending roulette of options – and if you’re making the decision with friends that simply adds another layer of indecisiveness. Between West End shows, gastropubs, and whatnot, there’s almost too much choice. But hang on – have you noticed how dinner theatre’s been creeping back into fashion lately? Not the naff murder mysteries your nan might’ve dragged you to in the ’90s, mind you. We’re talking proper theatrical experiences where the food’s worth eating. And bloody good food at that.
When Did Dinner Get So Dramatic?
Remember when eating out meant sitting down, ordering, eating, paying, and leaving? God, how boring we were. These days, punters want more bang for their buck – or pound, rather. The whole concept’s gone quite upmarket.
Or there’s The Faulty Towers Dining Experience, running for donkey’s years now. Not the most original concept perhaps, but they’ve absolutely nailed the characters. Proper laugh watching “Manuel” spill soup on some poor bloke who thought he’d be having a quiet dinner. The food used to be a bit dodgy, but they’ve sorted that now.
No Script? No Problem
What’s properly interesting are the ones without fixed scripts. Secret Cinema started this trend years back – transformed warehouses into film sets where people munch on themed grub while actors improvised around them. Dead immersive.
Then came Gingerline and their Chamber of Flavours. Properly mental, that one. Guests are shuffled between rooms, eating different courses while some bizarre story unfolds. Can’t say much more – they’re dead serious about the “secret” bit.
The London Cabaret Club does a posh version. British tapas are served while dancers and singers perform inches from your table. Someone who looked just like an X Factor contestant was there once, but after several cocktails, who can be certain?
Not Just For London Types
Of course, this isn’t just happening in the smoke. Manchester’s got House of Supper, combining northern nosh with proper theatrical bits. Their Fawlty Towers night sells out fast, but the Twin Peaks-themed one was the business – damn fine cherry pie and all that.
Up in Edinburgh, especially during the Fringe, you can barely move for immersive dining experiences. Some Scottish company – Bard & Baker or Baker & Bard, something like that – does this mad medieval feast with actors wandering around speaking ye olde English. Portion sizes are a bit stingy, but the mead keeps flowing.
Birmingham’s got in on the act too. Some pop-up called “Taste & Tumble” does circus performers with a six-course tasting menu. Watching someone on a trapeze while trying to eat posh nosh is proper stressful, but in a good way.
When Chefs Become Showmen
What’s happening now is the chefs themselves are getting in on the act. Not content with just making the food, they’re part of the show. There’s this place in Bristol – name escapes most people, starts with an ‘E’ perhaps – where the chef narrates everything he’s doing like he’s on MasterChef. Bit much if someone’s just after a quiet meal, but the theatrical types lap it up.
Even the proper fancy restaurants are adding theatrical elements. At a chef’s table in Liverpool they finish dishes with these massive blowtorches. Nearly singe your eyebrows off, but makes for a good Instagram story.
