Yes, immersive theatre is a fad, but much like lumbersexuality, if you're into it, you're into it.
And Heist does a great job of putting you in a specific mindset. Trust me, there's nothing like telling co-workers that you're going to go steal a painting as your evening plans.
Anyone who's seen Ocean's Eleven has a secret urge to pull off an elaborate ninja-job, and Heist gives you that chance. And for just £10!
You and five friends start the game in a bar, you're pulled into a dark room to get your code names (one of my mates was nicknamed Mister Fantastic Waste of Space), you're decked out with walkie talkies and fake janitor outfits while being speed-briefed on your target, and then you're sledgehammering a wall to get into the adjacent office building. The sweaty adrenaline rush starts quickly and doesn't quite end; we couldn't stop talking about it at the pub afterwards.
Now that the show's run is over, I don't feel as bad sharing a few highlights that could be spoilers. Just in case though, only read below the dotted line if you don't mind gnawing on the Tree of Knowledge.
My only critique is that there isn't a clear signal as to when the game ends. Three in my party ended up hiding out in the building while "security forces" hunted us down, and this was forty minutes past when Heist wanted to close up shop. I personally got trapped in a sweaty pitch-dark room for about that long, and when finally freed, I was still in character and said, "Oh, I'm just here to clean the place."
Oops. Sorry, we're just too good at criminality!
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One of my favorite moments was taking the painting off the wall, hearing the security guards coming back, frantically throwing the painting back up, and desperately hiding under tables in the room. That and watching a friend via CCTV fake a seizure to distract guards in order for me to get into the server room to turn off the cameras/alarms!
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