Doctor Who: Time Fracture review: ‘The more you commit, the more you’ll get out of it’

Words: Dave Cross; picture: by Mark Senior

If you’ve ever imagined yourself running down a futuristic corridor while trying to save the world then Time Fracture, the immersive Doctor Who theatrical experience is for you.

Located on a back street in London’s West End, Time Fracture is a fast-paced, chaotic way to spend two hours that requires you to physically throw yourself into the action.

A cast of 40 actors leads you through an impressive selection of sets as the story unfolds.

Molly Walker in Doctor Who: Time Fracture (by Mark Senior)

Unsurprisingly it’s tricky to talk about details of the plot without giving away too many spoilers, but the basic premise is that The Doctor has given U.N.I.T a list of civilians that can help them save the whole of time and space, and – shock horror! – you are on that list.

Greeted by U.N.I.T soldiers you are taken deep into the secret underground sci-fi base where your adventure begins on the first of the beautifully designed sets.

The chaos starts here where scientists grab groups of the audience and explain the mission you’re on.

There is a lot happening at once: different groups are told different parts of the story, there’s a lot of flashing lights, screens, and even a clever message from The Doctor mixed up with an impressive physical transformation of the set.

Max Krupski in Doctor Who Time Fracture (by Helen Maybanks)

Each group is then taken into the fracture and finds themselves in different locations in time and space in parts of the Doctor Who universe. Each area has a character relevant to the story who leads you on a mission, taking you in and out of the different zones. On our visit, we saw three sets, but there were another two we didn’t see. The show is designed that every visit is different to encourage return visits.

There are video messages recorded by actors from the TV show, again depending on which zone you are in, plus loads of props and Easter eggs from the show. And there’s an alien bar where you take a break complete with Silurian cabaret. The final part of the show kicks off with a genuinely scary section that might be too much for small kids. Then, you arrive at the final destination where the story plays out.

A lot of time and effort has gone into Time Structure and the sets and cast are excellent and attention to detail impressive. The finale did go on just a bit too long, and there was a lot of talking. Don’t go in thinking ‘this is going to be packed with classic monsters from the show’. They are here, but fairly briefly. It’s not really about them, or the TARDIS.

But it’s really great to immerse oneself in these aliens places for two hours of fun. The more you commit to it, the more you’ll get out of it. As The Doctor would say: ‘Brilliant.’

For more information, visit immersivedoctorwho.com.

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