Legend has it, decades ago, over $2 million in riches were dumped in an unknown location and hidden at sea! Following the discovery of a cipher stating “The Secret Lies With Elizabeth”, the U.S Government commissioned The Hidden Spirit, which has undergone an epic journey to London to recover the hidden treasure. The commanding Governor has hired Captain Jack Cassidy to find a new crew to safely bring home the riches, but with over $2million on board, Cassidy has his own ideas and needs recruits prepared to break the law and turn to a life of piracy! Step aboard The Hidden Spirit this winter and join the undercover crew!
Take your share of the world’s finest collection of precious metals & jewels, liquors & liqueurs and enjoy some delicious cocktails on board to make the journey and time at sea all that bit richer. Set on board a real ship docked in London, those willing to join Captain Jack Cassidy’s undercover crew will be taken on an epic journey of mischief as they steal the hidden treasure in this unique immersive cocktail experience.
What’s better than a little bit of interactive theatre? Interactive theatre with cocktails! The team behind Alcotraz and the Moonshine Saloon have launched a new venture upon the high seas of the River Thames. Upon boarding you shed your landlubber clothing for a pirate coat and hat and become a part of the crew. After an introduction to the Governor who tells us about the unsuccessful hunt for treasure we head below deck to find out that everything might not be quite what it seems.
A delicious bottle of golden shimmer is pressed into my hands and I’m warned not to breathe a word of it to the Governor as it is in fact part of the fabled treasure the Governor was so insistent did not exist. The bottle contains a rum based daiquiri that quite literally tastes like liquid gold and slips down the throat far too easily but before we can finish our bottles it’s down to the living quarters in the base of the ship to get ready to set sail.
Unfortunately we end up stuck in dock for the night so there’s nothing for it but to act like pirates do and get cheery over a couple of cocktails. A treasure map holds the key to your options (two further cocktails of your choice are included in your ticket) and while I adored the Royal Docks (basically an elderflower gin and tonic) but the St Mary’s Margarita was a little on the stingy side for the full price of £12 – you can pay for any additional drinks over and above the 3 included in the cost of the ticket.
As we drink some scenes play out around us and each of the main players in the plot interact with us in their own way. This is a lot of fun and you’re never left to your own devices for too long which keeps the evening flowing nicely. The end of the night was rather odd though, we were rallied to leave the ship quickly as though we were making an escape and so downed the last of our drinks but then everything was slowed down completely by people collecting their coats and bags before leaving.
The best part about the whole experience for me was the fact that everything take place on board an actual ship. Unlike the Murder Express where they replicated a train carriage inside this was a real pirate ship complete with low ceilings, canons and sails, it feels authentic and adds to the fun.
Tickets to board The Hidden Spirit cost £34.99 and include a bottle of golden shimmer plus two further cocktails over the course of the 90 minute experience which I think is pretty good value for money considering you’re getting a theatre show along with your drinks. I wouldn’t recommend paying for any extras though but save the cash instead and pop to a nearby pub for a debrief afterwards.
If you want to get a better idea of what the night is like watch the video below by Love Pop Ups London who invited me along – although beware it contains spoilers for some of the antics!