I had the pleasure of boarding courtesy of Funicular Productions the The Murder Express again this March where I dined on the menu curated by Jane Devonshire winner of MasterChef 2016 Champions.
Journey take two
Boarding the The Murder Express I was highly excited to see what had changed apart from the culinary menu by Jane Devonshire as last time it was by Billy and Jack.
Before boarding though it was time for a drink at the bar.
Once boarded it was time for the Murder Mystery story to take place. Unfortunately the story and characters had not changed (apart from a few actors) but it still played out well. However I do feel that this time around it was slightly more rushed and not as interactive.
Why I am not sure the only reason I can think is because it was a full house and maybe people were just was not eating fast enough to give actors time to act out their scenes in between meals.
The food though was exceptional.
The Edamame Bean Bruschetta did not just look pretty but tasted amazing with the fresh crushed greens along with the crunchy texture of the toasted bread.
The Roasted Garam Masala Cauliflower was spicy and sweet.
This delicate sticky cooked Lamb Three Ways was a real treat with a slight saltiness to it. The meats literally melted in the mouth.
The Apricot and Ginger Polenta Cake was light, fluffy and flavoured beautifully with a hint of ginger.
I highly recommend if you love murder mysteries, something that little different and top notch food as you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven on board this train.
First journey with The Murder Express
Back in Spring 2018 I had the opportunity to board The Murder Express at Pedley Street with some other passengers (fellow bloggers & reviewers of Love Pop Ups London community.) This production is by award winning Funicular Productions was like stepping into a scene such like Murder on the Orient Express as this was after all a murder mystery dinning experience which was based on a train.
The Murder Express by Funicular Productions
Act One
Standing around in the waiting area to board The Murder Express whilst grabbing a drink from the Seven Sins bar we got to meet the cast Tilly (Amy Rawlings), Frank (Jamie Bannerman), a cowboy (Drew Donnell), waiter (James Dillon) and Mrs Valentine (Donna Combe) & her dog Fluffy (it’s a puppet).
Frank tried to sell me and my fellow friends a drinks voucher at a reduced price but we did not trust his dodgy moves and talk so we declined his offer.
He then later tried to offer me a handbag and even a pair of Bridget Jones style knickers as you can possibly imagine I passed on that.
“No thanks”
Act Two
It was then time to board The Murder Express. Joining the train conductor (Ingrid Miller) on-board we were seated and embarked on a journey of a lifetime. Well a pretend journey as this was a room made to look like a luxury train carriage with virtual windows taken us on a journey. There was five tables on each side that were spacious and sat six people comfortably.
On the table we also got to see what gastronomic delights we would be eating which all dish’s have been creatively crafted by BBC One’s MasterChef 2016 finalists Billy and Jack accompanied with a high quality green napkin with embossed gold lettering.
“Is there a doctor in the house, yes”
Whilst we waited for our first course of cucumber sandwich’s and a soup Chelsea was chosen by one of the actors to be the dedicated on-board doctor. After eating we sat back to enjoy the beautiful scenery from our virtual windows it was not long until things started to kick off between the cast.
Without giving too much away all I can say is that Tilly and Frank’s relationship has been on the rocks for a long time and she seeks comforts in other ways.
The waiter just wanted to serve, the cowboy had some motives and
Mrs Valentine along with her dog had some personal past issues.
Act Three
Shock horror a murder eventually was committed and doctor Chelsea was called upon.
“There is no pulse”
It was then up to us travellers all to have a chance to interact with the cast members in order to solve the fictitious murder scene.
With so many twists and turns to this whole story the big question is will you be able to solve the clues and riddle?.
Whilst eating the delicious steak we all had time to chew on who could of done it and whilst asking the suspects questions to divulge into more clues.
Act Four
It was now time for dessert and for us to give our verdict in who we think committed the crime.
This is collage of all the dish’s we enjoyed through the our time on-board.
With a big twist to end of this amusing and well played murder mystery you will be leaving with a smile on your face and your belly full.
Loved it
I loved this murder mystery which was set in a man made train carriage with virtual windows making us feel like we was actually travelling to France. The whole experience from the food, the story to the acting was exceptional. However this is a slightly different style of murder mystery which I played before as there is no worksheet and no guests (apart from Chelsea) was given a character to play.
So if you are not one for acting and being involved too much then this murder mystery is perfect as it is more like a well created play that happens around you.
All aboard
Don’t miss the train and book your ticket now for The Murder Express via here.
The whole experience lasts 2 hours. Food is included in the cost of the ticket. Drinks are sold separatly.
Thank you to Funicular Productions for letting me and others from Love Pop Ups London come along to journey on The Murder Express. This experience was complimentary from them but all views are my own honest opinion.
Click link below to read all the other bloggers & reviewers opinions. All their views are of their own honest opinions.
Funicular Productions
“I love going out discovering new and existing restaurants, theatres, immersive experiences and so much more but I also love staying in and discovering new gadgets, gaming and cooking.
