Review: One Way Ticket, A British Pullman Murder Mystery
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10 hours ago
A brand new immersive murder mystery on a train for 2025
Immersive theatre on a train: it’s the stuff of dreams for the trainspotting culture vulture. But this is no time to be a wallflower, as introvert Rebecca Cox discovers when she boards the British Pullman train for the maiden voyage of its new murder mystery journey One Way Ticket, in partnership with Private Drama Events.
One Way Ticket, Belmond & Private Drama Events
I am a little late to the game as a ferroequinologist, but over the last few years (thanks in entire part to my job) I have had the pleasure of riding on board three luxury Belmond trains, including a sleeper journey between Paris and Venice that involved an all-night rave in the bar cart. If these adventures have taught me anything, it’s that when it comes to train travel, it’s not the destination, but the journey itself that counts. This is key for my time on today’s train for One Way Ticket, since the origin and destination are in fact one and the same: London’s Victoria Station, platform 2, where the eye-catching carriages of the British Pullman train await, beside a busy platform of sequined guests and a handful of actors keen to get the ball (/train) rolling.
It’s a smooth transition back in time from 2025 commuter London to 1930s London, via a welcome mimosa served on the platform to the sound of live soul crooning, and I almost make it safely onto the train without any interaction with the cast. However, as I’m about to step onto the coach, a man proclaiming to be Reginald Asquith-Mobley MP collars me, telling me enthusiastically he’s against our voyage and all it entails. I shake him off and take my place in the (blissfully quiet) corner of ‘Gwen’, a beautiful pink, green and yellow upholstered carriage dating back to Brighton in the 1930s. I am here for the stunning retro train interiors and I am here for the world-class seasonal fine dining experience. As an avid Agatha Christie fan and lover of mysteries set on trains including The Sleeper by Emily Barr and The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, I am also very much here for the murder mystery. But as an introvert, the interactions with the cast I could do without, and thankfully my travel companion for the day is of a similar mind, so we leave the crowd-participation to the seats behind us.
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When it comes to solving the murder mystery, however, this is something of an error. One Way Ticket has a cast of 10 characters, and is a carefully woven plot of three novellas playing out across the train’s nine carriages of 180 passengers. The story has the same beginning (the murder of a Hollywood starlet has been committed at the Savoy hotel at the pre-voyage gala) and end (the murderer is revealed) plus the same cast of characters, but the parts of the plot you see played out and the characters you interact with most depends on where you sit. There are a lot of moving parts (literally, with some missing luggage that it seems important we keep track of) and several of the characters have motives to kill. The character development is impressive, and the acting talent abundant: ask the cast anything if, unlike myself, you’re brave enough, and they’ll have an answer prepared. If you’re onboard to find the answer, you’ll need to take it seriously, and take notes of your findings, while touring the train to check out all the carriage interiors is less useful – though, arguably, equally enjoyable.
THE FOOD
The five hours on-board passes in a flash, from the glass of welcome champagne to the tea and coffee that follows the four-course seasonal menu created by British Pullman’s Head Chef Jon Freeman. Menu highlights include the Cornish hake with a warm tartare sauce and the melt-in-the-mouth glazed lemon tart. Had I spent less time tucking into the Great British cheeseboard and sampling the English Pinot Noir on offer, and more time quizzing the suspicious would-be residents of rotten utopia Arcadia, perhaps I would have rooted out the murderer. But the rolling fields of Kent and glimpse of the Whitstable seaside demanded attention, too, and the combination of the setting, the sustenance and the entertainment made for an incredibly pleasing afternoon, even though I failed to crack the case.
THE FINAL WORD
Adam Blackwood, the Creative Director of Private Drama Events, tells me that on the last iteration of this voyage, several guests made the journey multiple times, and One Way Ticket has been designed to allow for a unique experience depending on where you’re travelling on the train, with repeat visitors in mind. And with the actors delivering a performance that is roughly 50-50 scripted vs improvised, every ride is a one-off.
The group of four incredibly glamorous women I saw boarding at Victoria were no first-timers, and if I am lucky enough to board for another visit, it will be in their spirit that I do so. A murder mystery ride on the British Pullman is no time to be shy: solving murders takes guts and gumption, and to get the most of this experience you should throw yourself whole-heartedly into character, not as a wistful window-gazing wallflower, but as a meddling Miss Marple. Pull together a group of gregarious friends, and book a seat on-board for one of the most luxurious and fun immersive experiences in town.
BOOK IT
The first of 22 exclusive One Way Ticket trips will take place on 28th February 2025. Prices per person start at £585 and include round trip on the luxury British Pullman, A Belmond Train, welcome champagne, 4-course meal and live immersive performance. For more information or to book, please visit Belmond.com.
