You should probably stop reading now.
We know, that seems odd to suggest. It felt odd to write. But the fact is that if you have even the slightest curious inclination to see The Moonwalkers – a new immersive show about the moon landings, narrated in the soothing baritone of Tom Hanks – then you should just lean into that feeling and book the tickets, because it’s an absolutely beautiful and enthralling experience. And the less you know going in, the more blown away you’ll feel coming out.
Still reading? Then you probably need a little more persuasion before taking the giant leap, so here goes…
It all takes place in the Lightroom in King’s Cross – a four storey-high, state-of-the-art gallery space where every surface is a screen. This is the second exhibition to go on show here after the critically acclaimed David Hockney: Bigger & Closer. The whole experience is about an hour long, but the time seems to rocket (pun very much intended) by. Top tip? Sit near the back – the 360 degree nature of the show means you’ll be craning your neck backwards and behind you the whole time if you sit too far forward.
Tom Hanks does an admirable job narrating this. He co-wrote it, in fact, and he talks during the earlier segments about his own childhood and his passion for space in an earnest way that really rings true. Coupled with the imagery of the ’60s NASA heyday, it evokes a feeling of intense nostalgia.
After that, the rocket takes off, and honestly, the entire room will SHAKE. The walls, floors, and interior of your head will be absolutely filled with the tooth-rattlingly intense liftoff, before the silent serenity of space. And once you land on the moon itself, you’ll almost feel as if you were really there. The music soars. The visuals are extraordinary. You will get goosebumps.
As the show continues, Hanks talks more about the sheer inspirational beauty of the enterprise, and how it stands alone in human achievement. How the same atoms and star matter that make up the moon are also within us. And how, by travelling to a new world, we have scratched the surface of the utter vastness of time & space. Hanks even interviews the crew of the Artemis missions – who’ll be the first humans to set foot on the moon since 1972 when they make the trip in 2025.
It’s engrossing, informative, and it eclipses most other experiences like it. And yes…
…pun intended.
NOTE: The Moonwalkers has now been extended until 13th October 2024. You can book tickets (from £25) right HERE.
PREVIOUS PERK: Nudge Members (+1) got 40% off adult tickets from 18th December to 15th January.
The Moonwalkers | Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY
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