A few weeks ago, I was back in my hometown of London. As a fan of British film & TV, and in particular Doctor Who, I had no choice but to go to the Doctor Who Experience in Olympia.
Not to be confused with the Doctor Who exhibitions that have been dotting the U.K. (they all appear to have closed down now), this one has been created by BBC Worldwide (the BBC’s commercial arm).
There’s a huge sense of interaction with this exhibit, you actually feel like you’re part of one of the episodes! We went on a weekday, and it wasn’t the school holidays, so it was quite quiet. You get a timed entry ticket, which helps with the flow of the crowds and means that you actually get to drive the TARDIS!
The premise is that the Doctor is in the Pandorica and needs our help to get him out! You really are part of the experience. You see the Weeping Angels (don’t blink!), the CyberMen, and of course, the Daleks. Walking through the TARDIS door and into the TARDIS was a huge thrill for me!
After the interactive part is over, there’s a very good exhibition (much better than the one in Cardiff) with never seen before displays like the TARDIS used in the 1980s, the Face of Bo, and even the Pandorica from the recent series.
My favourite part had to be the 3D video that’s played – it’s almost like they’re coming after you! I won’t tell you who though – no spoilers here!
Joanne Simmons works for VisitBritain and is one of the editors of Brit Film & TV page on Facebook and also www.visitbritain.com/movies.
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