Harry Potter actor Tom Felton is set to play Guy Fawkes in the new immersive Gunpowder Plot experience at the Tower of London, which opens on 20 May 2022.
Felton, who starred as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise, will portray Guy Fawkes, whose attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 resulted in his execution in 1606.
The Gunpowder Plot is billed as the biggest attraction to open in London since The Shard. Located in a purpose-designed theatre space in the Tower Vaults, it features live actors, virtual reality (VR) and multi-sensory special effects.
The attraction is led by Layered Reality (formerly known as dotdotdot), creators of Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience.
“I’m very excited to be playing a character so famous (and infamous!) for being at the centre of the most famous conspiracy plot in UK history,” Felton said.
Tower of London experience opens May 2022
“Guy Fawkes is a fascinating character with a complex history and with passionate advocates and detractors then and now,” he added.
“To be able to bring the character to life through virtual reality, and to allow him to interact with audiences in a way that has never been done before, is thrilling.”
Layered Reality’s attractions offer large-scale sets and actors, as well as projection mapping, ambisonics, multi-sensory SFX, VR and physical sensations such as temperature, scent, taste, touch and sound.
“So when you’re stepping back into 1605, all of your senses are telling you that you’re there,” said Layered Reality CEO Andrew McGuinness.
“Your eyes are seeing London as it was in 1605, you get the smells, you will for the first time see the Tower of London how it looked in 1605, and you’ll go down the Thames and see it as it was at that time. That’s what makes it so magical.”
