Hello. We are Realworld, a playable content platform. Have you ever seen this mask? It's probably a familiar image from the movie 'V for Vendetta' or the hacker group 'Anonymous', but many of you may not know who the person behind this mask actually is. The protagonist of this mask is none other than 'Guy Fawkes'.
Let me tell you a bit of history. 400 years ago in November 1605, an attempted terrorist attack occurred in London, England. The terrorist mastermind Guy Fawkes planted explosives in the basement of Parliament to assassinate King James I, but was exposed by an informant. This incident later became known as the 'Gunpowder Plot', and November 5th, the planned date of the terror attack, became a festival called 'Guy Fawkes Night' to commemorate the survival of the royal family.
Ironically, over time, Guy Fawkes transformed from the image of a terrorist who threatened the king's life into a symbol representing resistance against monarchy, revolution, and liberalism.
Now, are we talking about Guy Fawkes because it's November? That's partly true, but also because this historical tale of terrorism and conspiracy is fascinating. And we want to introduce you to an immersive exhibition that will take us into a piece of history as thrilling as any thriller drama. It's Britain's 'Gunpowder Plot Immersive experience in London', set against the backdrop of the Gunpowder Plot.
An experience that takes you to 1605 London: 'Gunpowder Plot'
'Gunpowder Plot', created by Historic Royal Palaces, which manages Britain's royal palaces, and Layered Reality, a British immersive specialist company, has been running since its launch in May 2022. This exhibition, starting from £40 (about 71,000 won) for a 1 hour and 40-minute experience, takes place in a dedicated space near the famous historic site 'Tower of London'. They've recreated various spaces including the Tower of London, pubs, and Parliament buildings across a 25,000 square foot (about 700 pyeong) site.
The exhibition's story focuses on the final 24 hours of the Gunpowder Plot. Participants must uncover the mysterious figure behind the conspiracy, but they're surrounded by traitors and don't know who to trust. In this spy movie-like narrative, participants experience a blend of reality and fiction as actors ask them to decode messages or they enter safe houses to deliver information.
This exhibition utilizes cutting-edge technology like VR alongside real spaces and actors' performances. When you put on VR equipment and board a boat, you'll experience what feels like carrying out missions with Guy Fawkes on the Thames River. I'm curious what kind of mission that might be. By the way, Guy Fawkes is played by Tom Felton, who's familiar to us from the 'Harry Potter' film series.
Since it's not an escape room game, participants don't need to solve difficult puzzles or search every corner of the space for clues. However, due to its immersive nature, active participation will definitely make it more enjoyable! Plus, the ending splits into two paths depending on participants' choices, so you'll need to think carefully about what decisions to make.
Immersive experiences perfect for learning history - Korea has Realworld!
The more I researched this 'Gunpowder Plot', the more reviews I found saying it was educational because you could learn historical facts. That's why I thought it would be great to apply this in Korea. Our country also has many historical sites and relics, and I thought that utilizing these places could deliver historical moments even more vividly.
While not an immersive exhibition, I'm reminded of a content called '1937' set in Seodaemun Prison, which was part of the 'Memory Cinema' program that Realworld conducted with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. '1937' was also well-received content, but I thought that if there were an immersive exhibition where you become an independence activist during Japanese colonial rule and escape Seodaemun Prison with fellow prisoners, you could experience history even more immersively.
Realworld has been creating various faction (fact + fiction) content based on history, not only the aforementioned 'Memory Cinema' but also 'Jeongdong Secret Document' and 'The Emperor's Secret Agent: Jeguk Ikmunsa'. Moreover, they recently challenged immersive theater with 'Hotel Pygmalion'. If these various attempts were focused in one place, I expect that historical experiential immersive content rivaling 'Gunpowder Plot' could be born.
Please continue to support Realworld as they keep pioneering new territories. Thank you.