Review: Peaky Blinders Underworld (Arches London Bridge)

Review by Daz Gale

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If you’ve ever sat at home watching your favourite TV programme and longed for the chance to immerse you in that world, you’re in luck… if Peaky Blinders is your favourite show, that is. Bluey fans, your time will come! This week sees the opening of a brand new immersive experience, Peaky Blinders Underworld, transforming modern-day London Bridge into 1920s Birmingham. It isn’t the first dabbling in theatre for the world of Peaky Blinders, with The Redemption of Thomas Shelby regularly appearing on stage, as well as previous immersive experience The Rise, so what will make fans want to step into the Garrison Tavern this time around, and what’s in it for you if you’ve never watched an episode of Peaky Blinders in your life (guilty)?

For the uninitiated, Peaky Blinders follows the Birmingham-based Shelby family in the aftermath of the First World War. Now, as my earlier comment suggested, I have never seen an episode of Peaky Blinders in my life, but I wanted to check this out because of my love for immersive experiences (or entertainment attraction as it is described) and to see from a novice’s perspective if this is as enjoyable as it clearly would be for anyone who has binged every episode of the series. Bringing along a friend who was a fan of the show, I found it interesting to compare our experiences and overall enjoyment, given the disparity in our prior knowledge. The fact we both enjoyed it every bit as much is a testament to how accessible this experience is, and the fact I left there adding Peaky Blinders to the top of my list of series to watch speaks volumes.

But what exactly is Peaky Blinders: Underworld, I hear you cry. Well, it can be anything you want it to be, within reason. The world from the show has been recreated with recognisable locations from the show lovingly realised in rich and glorious detail. To explore the underworld, you need a ticket, but the Garrison Tavern, a working pub complete with exclusive ale and live music is open to all. The Tavern is where your experience begins, and presumably ends as you decompress and debrief about what you have just accomplished (or not), but if you’re passing by and just want a drink in the pub, it is open to all, which is a great touch that will attract Peaky Blinders fans who love a themed pub.

If you have a ticket for the Underworld experience itself, you are ushered through a secret door in the Tavern and given sixty minutes to explore your surroundings. Quite how that timeframe is enforced remains to be seen and seems to work on an honour system where the honesty of punters is trusted, perhaps ironically given the themes of the series. What you do with your sixty minutes inside is completely up to you, but a word of advice - like any immersive, interactive experience such as this one, you only get as much out of it as you put in. If you walk around, not speaking to anyone or actively seeking out the secrets hiding in the most unlikely of places, you will still have fun, but you will be missing out on so much more. My recommendation is to truly immerse yourself - speak to the actors, embark on the missions and play a few games along the way.

Essentially, this is an open-world adventure, similar in some ways to Phantom Peak. There are currently two missions you can embark on during your time in the underworld. First, you are encouraged to “Catch the Rat” to find out who is passing information to a rival gang. This is done through a series of clues, which are fairly easy to decipher once you understand what you are looking for. The second is the Sneaky Peaky mission, where you may want to nose around and have a peek yourself to solve another mystery. This mission is a bit closer to an escape room, with a couple of obstacles in your way and one hole that is particularly tricky to find. It was slightly disappointing that the secret phrase I had to mention to someone following the completion of this task was met with confusion, but I’m sure that will be rectified as this experience continues.

The two missions are a lot of fun to do, and I would encourage everyone to include them in your sixty-minute timeslot. They don’t take too long to do, and perhaps they could have been a little bit trickier so both couldn’t be comfortably done with time to spare, encouraging repeat visits. A speech from one of the creators of this experience spoke of his hopes for Underworld to keep evolving, with new missions added, and that is something I hope they can do. If they can add in a few more missions, there is no reason why anyone wouldn’t want to come back here time and time again, myself included, even if I have proudly caught the rat - and have a calling card to prove it.

The other aspect of Peaky Blinders Underworld that is sure to take up a lot of your time is the Small Heath fairground. There, you can embark on a number of classic fairground games such as hooking a duck, ring toss and coconut shy. Anyone who knows will be unsurprised to learn that I was utterly hopeless at all of them (my friend was much better) and my time at the shooting gallery confirms I should never be allowed to hold a gun. There are prizes to be won if you are better than me, however, and the whole experience was incredibly fun, giving a friendly sense of competition that even rival gangs would enjoy playing.

Of course, an experience like this requires actors to interact with, and the ones assembled here were at the top of their game. Effortlessly immersing you into the world, pointing you in the right direction and unafraid to let out a four-letter word or four, they easily got you into the spirit of the adventure. Their ability to improvise and react should also be commended - whether you seek them out or they approach you to check in as they so often did, they didn’t miss a beat with their off-the-cuff remarks. You also may find yourself taking on a Peaky Blinder yourself or on a secret side-mission if you meet the right person, so it is worth chatting to them as much as possible, even if they have already told you to f*** off.

What truly impresses about this experience is the design of it. One of my favourite things about immersive experiences is how they often hide behind nondescript doors around the capital. Enter and you will find yourself in a strange and rich world of delights. It almost feels as if it’s a little secret that those passing by outside would not be aware of, even if in this case there is huge Peaky Blinders branding everywhere outside. Even that could not prepare me for the sight when I entered the secret door in the Tavern and found myself in the Underworld, stopping in to Shelbys, the bookies, Chinatown and the fairground. The design itself is absolutely exquisite, faultless in its execution with incredibly detailed touches and little secrets hidden everywhere.

How would I describe Peaky Blinders Underworld? Is it a game? Is it a live performance? Is it an experience? The answer to all three of those questions is a resounding yes. One of the jewels in this creation is its ability to merge different aspects to create a rich beast of a show. It may have been a bit of a gamble, but it has certainly paid off. There is much to do in your sixty minute window, and perhaps sixty minutes is the right amount of time for it - my only criticism is I wish there was more to do during that time so you were spoiled for choice and were unable to complete everything in the guide you are given upon entry. I’m sure that will come in time, however, but this is a good start, at least. In terms of value for money, it also feels like a bit of a steal, wowing you with what you get for every penny of your hard-earned cash. Whether you are a huge fan of Peaky Blinders or have never seen an episode in your life, there really is something for everyone in Peaky Blinders Underworld. It’s a hell of an experience, and one that’s well worth tipping your cap to.

Peaky Blinders Underworld can be found at Arches London Bridge and is currently booking until December 2026. Tickets from https://peakyblinders.london/