Immersive Experience Review: The Imposters Christmas Party
I am an Imposter.
Actually, no I’m not. I wanted to be. But when I found out I was selected as a Faithful, I laughed so much that everyone thought I was an Imposter. I was murdered shortly after the prawn starter.
As you can see, I’m not quite over it. For if I was, I would have started this review with some context.
Top tip: If you don’t want people to think you’re an Imposter, hold it together when you’re trying to convince people you’re a Faithful.
Roughly 45 minutes before I was murdered, I was welcomed into the Brighton Pavilion Gatehouse. It’s one of Brighton’s largest self-catering houses, hosting 32 guests with a view of the iconic pavilion opposite. Over the years, they’ve housed hen parties, corporate stays, sports clubs, production crews, school trips, meetings and events like the one I was murdered at.
Brighton Pavilion Gatehouse is managed by Adventure Connections, a specialist events agency who manages a range of large accommodation properties to organise bespoke events, hen/stag parties and corporate away days.
We were there to experience West End Event’s ‘Imposters Christmas Party’, inspired by our current obsession, BBC’s The Traitors. It’s a show they’re exclusively hosting in London at St Paul’s Hotel, but they took the game down to the seaside along with their partners Office Christmas Party and Dine Indulge for the Brighton Press to try it out.
Once our coats were escorted away and replaced by a glass of bubbles, a man in a cloak entered the room to explain the game. Not quite Claudia Winkleman, but a close replacement (if you really, really squint).
Not-Claudia warmed up the crowd and got us all cheering as the names for the different tables were called; of which there were groups of 8. I was on table one, choosing to rename ourselves to the unofficial best name of the night “SLAYTERS”, which our team captain and content queen Luisa-Cristie (see her Instagram post below).
The game of Imposters has a similar concept to our favourite TV show: catch the Imposter before the Imposter catches you. Played through a series of conversational quests in between a three course dinner.
I’ll be vague here about the quests through fear of spoilers, but they were designed to get us talking – or, in my case, laughing so hard that I got murdered.
Ah, yes, the murder. I won’t go into how that happened. But I will put your mind at ease by sharing that my demise did not lead to me going hungry, nor did it exclude me from verbally challenging my opponents. I just couldn’t win, due to being dead.
Thankfully, my death didn’t spoilt my appetite. Nor that of my partner opposite, killed off after the main course, who has since labelled it as “better than any corporate experience [he’s] ever been to”.
All three courses were created by private bespoke catering service, Dine Indulge, serving corporate events in 10 countries including London, Paris and Rome. I can assure my fellow allergy and food intolerance sufferers that they handled my rather challenging dietary requirements (cow’s milk allergy and wheat intolerance) with great care; with their choice of gluten free bread being one of the best I’ve ever had.
My pre-murder meal (starter) was beautifully-cooked prawns in a lemony-garlic sauce with aforementioned gluten free bread, with the vegans among us tucking into a Garlic Mushroom Medley. Pre-death, I had a main meal consisting off a very generous portion of Roasted Chicken, with notably delicious Sugar Snap. My partner’s final meal with a Feta & Walnut Stuffed Hasselback Butternut Squash, with a special mention to the Carrot & Orange Puree. And for dessert, I joined the vegans in the room with a rich, dark chocolate pudding topped with a raspberry, whilst he opted for a sweet Treacle Tart.
It’s a different menu from what you’d get at their London events, but I’d recommend Dine Indulge as a catering partner for those on the lookout.
The Brighton Pavilion Gatehouse’s long dining room has housed many a meal over the years with numerous cooks and caterers, but I wonder how often they’ve seen a room of rowdy journalists, long-suffering plus ones and two men in capes talk about murder over garlic prawns and butternut squash?
I, for one, can say with great sincerity that it’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Even if I was murdered.
The Imposters Christmas party is taking place at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London on the 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th December. Tickets are from £125+VAT per person.
Thanks for Adventure Connections, Brighton Pavilion Gatehouse, Office Parties, Dine Indulge and West End Events for a fantastic evening.
And thanks to Luisa Cristie for capturing my demise on camera – even if you’re the one who murdered me.
And to our readers: Gather your colleagues and book The Imposters Christmas Party Package.