London Dungeon’s spooky new home

£20m move has three floors of gore and ghosts ... plus live rats
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27 February 2013

From graphic depictions of torture techniques to the plague, visitors will be able to relive some of the goriest moments of the capital’s history at the revamped London Dungeon.

The attraction — complete with live cockroaches, rats and attempts to recreate the putrid sights and smells of medieval London — is set to reopen on Friday at new premises on the South Bank after a £20 million move from London Bridge.

The Evening Standard was given an exclusive preview of the 90-minute tour which is set across three floors of the old County Hall building next to London Eye.

Visitors will be taken around the attraction on foot in groups of about 30 by an array of characters from 1,000 years of London history including a 3D Henry VIII played by Brian Blessed, a plague doctor and the Ten Bells pub landlady Peggy Waldron during the time of Jack the Ripper.

Visitors will even get the chance to be tried in an 18th century courtroom.

Bosses said that the actors’ scripts have been re-written and costumes and make-up have been toned down to be more natural in a bid to make the characters scarier.

The London Dungeon’s creative team includes costume supervisor Nikki Bird, who worked on Scrooge for the West End, and scriptwriter John Arthur, who normally works with Tim Vine and Jon Culshaw.

It also features two new rides which takes visitors up the Thames in a boat during medieval times and to “experience” the gallows for themselves. The project — which included laying new floors, walls and knocking through levels —took just 12 months to complete.

Managers hope that bigger premises and its location in the tourist “hub” of Sea Life London Aquarium and the Eye will help to increase visitors.

Matt Clarkson, marketing manager at London Dungeon, said: “Essentially it’s better and in terms of floor space it’s bigger, with more actors and more special effects.” Tickets are £24.60 for adults and £19.20 for children if bought on the day but cheaper if bought in advance online.

For a review of the revamped London Dungeon click here

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