Sarner, known for the concept, design and creation of themed visitor attractions around the globe, was awarded the contract following a competitive tender at the beginning of 2010 and is currently working on the pre-build prior to going on site at the beginning of December. The exhibition will officially open at London's Olympia on 20 February 2011.
BBC Worldwide's head of exhibitions and events, Paula Al-Lach, has been working closely with Sarner on the project since its inception. Commenting on Sarner she says: "The brief was to create an immersive experience based on the popular TV programme that would capture and celebrate the essence of Doctor Who. We felt that Sarner's creative vision for the project matched the brief and that they proposed something completely different, all encompassing and a little bit scary."
The main element of the exhibition will be an immersive, timed dark walk experience where, for the first time ever, visitors will become involved in their very own Doctor Who adventure.
The 'show', which has been devised with input from Doctor Who executive producer and show runner Steven Moffat, will feature special effects and exclusively filmed footage. Visitors will be put at the heart of the action helping the Doctor and will go on an exhilarating journey through time and space, fending off threats from iconic monsters along the way.
Following their adventure, visitors will enter a freeflow exhibition which charts the success of the show from the first series in 1963 to the most recent episodes starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. This will comprise interactive areas, displays and some classic memorabilia from the TV show, including several generations of the Daleks and original costumes.
"Doctor Who is a part of British culture and this bespoke project is an extremely exciting and prestigious one for us to be working on", comments Michael Bennett, Sarner's creative director.
He continues, "Our idea was to put the visitor into a Doctor Who adventure and to achieve this mission we had to use all of the immersive skills and techniques we've developed over the years. The Doctor Who Experience is set to take exhibitions to another level for BBC Worldwide and has been designed to appeal to everyone, across the ages, regardless of how much they know about the history of Doctor Who. The show section features powerful scenic recreations, including a TARDIS interior, and uses a storyline featuring the current Doctor, Matt Smith, who we've been fortunate enough to work with, along with executive producer and show runner, Steven Moffat, and key members from BBC production in Cardiff."
(Claire Beeson)
