Review: GINGERLINE'S THE GRAND EXPEDITION, Dalston

Like some latter day Phileas Fogg, immersive dining specialists Gingerline’s revival of The Grand Expedition leads us on a merry virtual journey around the world all while sat in a hot air balloon gondola. Subtitled “The Incredible Edible Journey”, the show brings the travel concept to life by slamming together 360-degree projections, live performance, party games and a five-part menu reflecting each of the stops as we trot the globe.

The company founded by Suz Mountford and Kerry Adamson first put on this show in 2019 and this refreshed version is very different in style and content to what came before and after it. The Chamber Of Flavours (2015) led the audience from room to room and discovering a different delectation in each new space. During the pandemic era, the company experimented with an alfresco dining experience called The Picnic Hunters Club.

The design team behind The Grand Expedition have excelled themselves. Gingerline (who position their experiences near overground stations, hence the name) have never been shy when it comes to giving a bit of a jolt to all five senses but the visual aspect is really quite something here both in the details and the grand sweep of it all.

In a wraparound style reminiscent of the Batman-themed Monarch Theatre, Fred Campbell’s endearing visual designs are projected onto the walls around the room in a style reminiscent of Seventies cartoons. They tell a narrative of sorts between dishes and set the scene from when we set off from Victorian London to when we “land” elsewhere. Greenaway & Greenaway’s animations are fluid and sharp. Whether flying through the air or portraying the latest locale, they lend a real sense of immersion to the evening

Bringing us down to earth, performers surround and flit between the tables putting on acrobatic dances and aerial circus acts in a changing array of nation-specific outfits. These mute clowns occasionally invite us out of seats and into the fray so we can skip rope or join a dance number. Laura Partridge’s direction is both light and enveloping: sitting in your seat is a perfectly acceptable option as is getting up and joining in with whatever genial tomfoolery is going on.

What about the food and drink? This a dining experience after all. Booze can be bought by the glass or, following the airborne metaphor, there are various “flights” available where four glasses of food-related cocktails (£42 pp), wine (£30 pp) or beer (£25 pp) are paired with individual courses. Jenny McNeill has created a menu which tempts the eyes and the mind, if not the tongue. There’s a a decided emphasis on getting the diners to engage with the food so prepare to sprinkle, to layer and to assemble before stuffing your face. The dishes themselves are tasty but obviously designed for a wide range of palates and those used to authentic slaps of strong flavours and spicy heat may be left disappointed.

The decision to return to The Grand Expedition suggests that there is unfinished business here. Its predecessor lasted four years in different iterations and the core proposition for this show is solid enough to go through quite a few more. At £99 pp plus drinks for the standard ticket (a separate High Flyer package includes exclusive pre-show interactions with the aeronauts, premium seating and a pack of treats and collectable gift items), it is reasonably priced especially considering the time, effort and money that has been poured into the aesthetic side of things.

If the food isn’t quite what Fogg would’ve tasted on his travels, there’s a least more than a sense of the gleeful wonder he must have felt whenever he set foot in a new country.

Gingerline’s The Grand Expedition continues at The Film Shed, Dalston until 12 May.

All photos courtesy of Gingerline.

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