Levelling up interactive theatre: behind the scenes on Key of Dreams, a live-action weird fiction narrative adventure

Just up the road from Newport, in the countryside off the M40, a troupe of actors and backstage boffins are gearing up for a fresh season of strangeness.

Key of Dreams is billed as a unique blend of interactive theatre, puzzle solving and branching narrative spread over 24 hours in Treowen, a historic 17th century Welsh manor house you've likely seen on Doctor Who. Within its walls, Key of Dreams mixes the location's real-world history with weird fiction tales inspired by the likes of MR James and HP Lovecraft, in an experience that allows guests to decide the fates of its various characters and guide how its intertwining storylines evolve.

Unlike other interactive theatre performances, such as those from the acclaimed Punchdrunk, Key of Dreams is designed to be a more influenceable experience, with less of an emphasis on following tightly scripted narrative in favour of something more open world. Launched last year to positive reviews and an endorsement from Neil Patrick Harris, a handful of guests have already made repeat trips, taking advantage of the fact Key of Dreams' storylines are swapped in and out to keep its mysteries fresh, with an array of endings so no two visits are quite the same.

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