A Joyfully Immersive Night Out: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy at Riverside Studios

For London theatregoers craving something out of the ordinary, Riverside Studios’ immersive take on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy offers an evening of playful escapism. From the moment you step inside, the venue reshapes itself around you, bars become alien outposts, corridors morph into interstellar passageways, and the boundary between audience and performance gently disappears. It’s a production that doesn’t simply ask you to watch; it invites you to jump on board and journey through the galaxy, cosmic cocktail in hand.

The production certainly captures the essence of Douglas Adams’s beloved universe, and lovers of the original TV series will not be disappointed, but, rather than leaning on strict adaptation, the creative team embraces the spirit and irreverence of the original with unpredictable musical energy and inventive humour. Audience participation is very much part of the show, as you wander through rooms following the production, actors disappear and reappear, and the set is slightly chaotic, which adds to the vintage charm of the experience.

We were very pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed the evening. The crowd is a mix of older fans and new adopters of the genre, all travelling together.

Overall, the production is wonderfully offbeat, honouring the tone of Adams’s work while offering something unmistakably its own. Whether you arrive as a dedicated Hitchhiker’s fan or someone encountering this universe for the first time, you’re likely to leave with a smile, and perhaps with a renewed appreciation for the pleasures of the unexpected.

And, in proper Hitchhiker’s fashion, there’s only one rule worth keeping in mind: don’t panic.

For more information and to book tickets click here.

Written by Claire Bloom

Photo courtesy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy