Curious about immersive theatre? New York City knows how it’s done. After the smash-hit interactive show Sleep No More debuted, many other Off- and Off-Off Broadway productions have adopted similar “choose your own adventure” storytelling. Sleep No More is no more, but NYC has plenty of immersive alternatives. At these 15 experimental shows, you’ll wander settings like speakeasies and a gazillion poppable bubbles. Adventurous audience members—whether kids or adults—can even interact with the cast or help solve a mystery. Read on to learn about immersive theatre happening now in New York, where audience participation reaches the next level.
Speakeasy, Die Softly: Immersive Murder Mystery Dinner Theater
Welcome to the Lou Zar Speakeasy, where both the drinks and the clues are flowing. Speakeasy, Die Softly is the most elaborate comedic immersive murder mystery ever performed by The Murder Mystery Company. The year is 1927, a time of flappers, mobsters, and bootlegging. Listen to some live music, play some casino games, and help flip the speakeasy into a “legitimate Italian restaurant” before the police raid the joint. Enjoy a three-course, family-style Italian feast while solving the murder at Carmine’s in Times Square. 200 W. 44th St., 888-659-2952, newyorkdinnertheater.com
Speakeasy Magick at The Overlook Bar
Purveyor of amazement and master deceptionist, Todd Robbins hosts a night of up close and personal prestidigitation. This unprecedented night of magic as you've never before seen, features a changing roster of New York City's best magicians. 25 W. 24th St., 212-352-3101, speakeasymagick.com
The Jury Experience: An Immersive Courtroom Case
Live theatre show The Jury Experience: An Immersive Courtroom Case launches on Saturday. You'll get to examine every piece of the puzzle, from witness testimonies to forensic evidence. The outcome is in your hands as well: innocent, or guilty? 85 S. Oxford St., feverup.com
MoonRise
Immerse yourself in MoonRise at The Times Square Edition's Paradise Club. An enchanting dinner experience transports guests to a universe guided by ancient moon goddesses. Created by world-renowned performance artist Lara Jacobs Rigolo and the Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque, the show comes to life through bespoke acts of aerial artistry, acrobatics, dance, visual poetry, all set to a soundtrack of sultry vocals and alluring storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the goddesses, the sensory experience is heightened by craft cocktails and a multi-course dinner curated by Michelin-starred chef John Fraser. Thru 5/23. 701 Seventh Ave., 347-544-5163, theparadiseclubnyc.com
Accomplice The Show
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Accomplice takes immersive theatre outside to the streets of New York. These comedic experiences occur on a walking tour, creating what Accomplice calls “adventure theater.” Accomplice The Village returns to Greenwich Village on Saturday afternoons (spoiler: you’ll help solve a missing persons case!). Upon request, Accomplice also stages a private event called The Golden Spork that incorporates dinner and a few escape room elements. Open run. accomplicetheshow.com
BATSU! New York
Combining game show, dinner theatre, and comedy, BATSU! New York will infuse your evening with fun and frenzy. The journey begins in the East Village with a speakeasy vibe as you travel through a mural. Then, tuck into a Japanese dinner provided by the restaurant Kogame by Kamehachi. After dinner, watch improvisers compete against each other in a live game show—or join them yourself! If you prefer to spectate, the Sake Ninja can pour you a drink. Must be 16+ to attend and 21+ to drink and participate. Proof of vaccination required. Wednesday through Saturday; open run. 133 E. 4th St., batsulive.com/new-york
Murdered by the Mob
A little merriment, marinara, and murder are on the menu at this dinner theatre show. Murdered by the Mob has been running for three decades (!) in NYC. Solve the murder of Big Pauly Costello, eat a pasta dinner, and dance the night away at this funny mystery show with your family and friends. Ages 8+. Open run. 932 Second Ave., 212-662-7469, murderedbythemob.com
The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show
During The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show you can dine down while tackling a challenging crime. (Just beware, the criminal is lurking somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself a Prime Subject.) Admission includes dinner, murder mystery entertainment, tip, a prize package for Top Sleuth, and more! Bar is available. The Hideout, 22 Warren St., thedinnerdetective.com
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern is an interactive show in which the audience is the "fourth player," influencing key decisions via browser-based software— you vote on where the story will go. With a cast of five and over 30 playable characters, theatregoers experience an expansive fantasy and face riddles, puzzles, combat, and more, to help shape the story. With humorous and exciting reveals are around every corner, no two shows are alike! Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., thetwentysidedtavern.com
Madame Tussauds New York Presents Broadway
The show must go on at Broadway, courtesy of Madame Tussauds Times Square. Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and other Andrew Lloyd Webber hits, this experience takes guests from backstage to the spotlight. Get glamorous with hair and makeup, compose a custom musical score on the giant floor piano, and hit the stage for a showstopping number. You just might get a glimpse of yourself in Joseph’s technicolor dreamcoat! 234 W. 42nd St., 212-512-9600, madametussauds.com
Drunk Shakespeare
Fans of Drunk History—and the Bard of course—will have a jolly time at Drunk Shakespeare, staged Off-Broadway in the Theatre District. One actor starts the show off with five shots of whiskey as audience members drink cocktails and look on from their seats, cocktails in hand. The show proceeds with one inebriated actor and their scene partners, all of whom perform a Shakespearean play that careens from profundity to absurdity and back (i.e. not all content will be strictly “Shakespearean”). Two VIP audience members sit in thrones and command actors to drink as they see fit. The privileged King or Queen also eats caviar, drinks champagne, and wears a crown. Ages 21+. Open run. 777 Eighth Ave., drunkshakespeare.com
Gazillion Bubble Show
Family-friendly and immersive, Gazillion Bubble Show has run Off-Broadway for 15 years. Kids and adults will be thrilled as the Yang family transforms bubbles beyond imagination. This popular show even gave Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa super-sized bubble wands when Gazillion Bubble Show visited LIVE with Kelly and Ryan! A spectacle for kids and adults, it’s conveniently located in the Theater District, a short walk from Times Square. Open run. 340 W. 50th St., 212-239-6200, gazillionbubbleshow.com
Additional reporting by Griffin Miller.
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