JADAR

★★★★★

Spanning 3,000 square metres and nine interactive galleries, Cleopatra: The Experience takes visitors on a breath-taking journey through Ancient Egypt to uncover the life, reign and legacy of Queen Cleopatra.

My two favourite historical figures are Anne Boleyn and Cleopatra: two Queens who changed their respective countries forever and who, in turn, were harshly punished for their brilliance, not only in life but also in legacy. I began my London trip with a rewatch of Six (my first time seeing it since the first UK tour in 2018) and ended it with Cleopatra: The Experience. Both works challenge the historical narratives surrounding these women. Whilst Six is, overall, a fantastic feminist reclamation, its portrayal of Boleyn irks me: it contrasts her historic portrayal as a schemer by portraying her as a punk who just wants to have fun – but this feels reductive for such an important player who was deeply involved in politics.

I went into Cleopatra: The Experience worried that it would stick with the mainstream patriarchal narrative about her being a femme fatale, or, on the flipside, like Six, try too hard to sanitise and soften her image. To my delight, it is a nuanced, complex and comprehensive study into a smart, fierce woman whose ambition cost her her life.

Cleopatra is generally portrayed as a seductive temptress who was punished by patriarchy for her promiscuity. In actuality, she was exceptionally intelligent, highly educated, and a skilled political strategist. She was a master diplomat who spoke multiple languages, managed a booming economy, and utilised her wit and charisma to influence powerful Roman leaders to protect Egypt’s independence. She fell in love with not one but two Roman leaders. Contrary to popular belief, she did not sleep around, and whilst she is often described as being beautiful, nothing was ever really said about her looks. Ironically, the only image we have of her shows a woman with a receding chin and an aquiline nose, however (this was strangely not noted in the exhibition), scholars generally believe that Cleoptra deliberate chose to portray herself with more masculine features as a calculated political message. So, we can’t really be sure what she looked like. What can be said, however, is that it was not her sexiness that made her strong but rather her strength that made her sexy.

After walking through a corridor, the exhibition begins with a simple room, surrounding attendees with information. Two of the walls provide multiple statements about Cleopatra, each ending with, “But who was she?” It is immediately clear that this exhibition wants to interrogate mainstream narratives about Cleopatra. It is not just a surface-level entertainment experience, like the poorly reviewed Elvis Evolution experience at the same venue, but it seeks to go beneath the surface and unearth real history.

The next room hosts a beautiful holographic retelling of the Ptolemaic Dynasty and Cleopatra’s story, starting with Alexander the Great. It takes us back to the very beginning, making the experience more accessible.

There are several more information rooms, a wall of real artefacts, and interactive mirror displays.

As with many of these experiences, there is a 360-degree screen experience, but it does not just display beautiful images on its eight-metre high walls. It showcases Cleopatra’s life, including the Library of Alexandria, her alliances with Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, and the final Battle of Actium.

The highlight of the experience, however, has to be the two VR experiences. The first, a free-Roaming Metaverse, is a digital, interactive space exploring the streets and locations of ancient Egypt, allowing a deeper, virtual exploration. It is incredible how real it feels. The imagery is not photo-realistic but it feels very much like you have stepped foot inside a videogame. At one point, I was genuinely scared to move, as a path emerged before me, but I worried I was going to fall into the abyss!

The journey concludes with a seated, full-motion, 360-degree VR experience where guests can explore the submerged ruins of Alexandria and the search for Cleoptra’s tomb.

As an history buff, and a lifelong fan of “Cleoptra”, I did not really learn anything new, but most visitors are probably only familiar with the mainstream narrative. The content could have been more in-depth, but I appreciate that the creatives did not want to overload visitors, especially because there is so much going on visually, audibly, physically and mentally. The storyline was a little repetitive at times, especially reiterating common knowledge information, but, for the most part, it was incredibly engaging – and educational. It has clearly been designed by experts in both design and history.

Cleopatra: The Experience is probably the best of its kind.

Cleopatra: The Experience runs at Immerse LDN, Excel London Waterfront until July 12.