We speak to theatre producer and CEO of The Path Entertainment Group, David Hutchinson, about his fascinating career, creating immersive experiences and life in London.
You’ve worked across theatre, venues, immersive experiences and live gameplay over the years. What is it about creating experiences for a live audience that continues to excite you?
There’s a moment in every show or attraction where you watch a stranger’s face change – they can show genuine surprise, delight, sometimes tears. You can plan and rehearse everything, but you never fully know how an audience will react until they’re standing in the room. That unpredictability is what keeps me hooked, whether it’s a West End opening night or the first guest walking through an attraction we’ve spent two years building.
You launched Monopoly Lifesized as a new type of experiential entertainment. What appeals to you about bringing known brands to life?
Familiar brands carry decades of memory and affection before a guest even walks through the door – the challenge, and the fun, is honouring that nostalgia while giving people something they couldn’t get from the board game or the film. With Monopoly Lifesized, we got to build a world that people already loved and let them physically step inside it, which is a different kind of magic to watching a story from your seat.
Two years after The Official Paddington Bear Experience opened on the South Bank, what still gives you the biggest thrill when you walk through the doors?
Watching a parent see their own childhood reflected back at them through their child’s eyes. Paddington means something different to every generation who walks through, and two years on, hearing families still talking about it on their way out is the thing that gets me every time. And the moment our audiences (young and old) meet Paddington Bear at the end of The Paddington Bear Experience is incredible – it brings all sorts of emotions and it’s so clear how much of a national treasure Paddington Bear is.
What have you learned from creating immersive experiences that could never be taught in a traditional theatre?
In theatre, the audience sits in their seats and you control what happens between the wings and under the proscenium. In immersive work, they’re inside the story, making choices about where to look and where to walk – that completely changes how you think about pacing, sightlines and user experience. Everything is on show, everything is part of the story. And so, in many ways, it’s a bigger world you’re recreating, but it’s also very empowering to give audiences agency. You learn to design for a hundred different journeys through the same space, not just one.
What does a perfect morning in London look like for you?
I am a big believer in setting up your day for success. I live near the River Thames, so I often go for long walks first thing to set the agenda, listen to inspirational podcasts and try to take the power of my own day. In a job such as live theatrical production, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed or caught up in the now, and the many day-to-day things you deal with. But I really try to protect my ‘bigger picture’ time.
Is there a London restaurant, bar or neighbourhood you always return to when you’re not working?
I love nature and so I will always gravitate to parks where possible. During the summer I’ll choose a big open outdoor space to work in. In winter, I love being in and around artistic buildings such as theatre bars and cinema cafés. It keeps my creative juices flowing.
What’s a London experience every visitor should add to their list?
London has so many daring theatrical immersive experiences that it’s hard to shout out just one – but I need to give a massive recommendation to Phantom Peak, which is reopening soon in Stratford. The team are incredible – they’ve created an entire world that fans love coming back to.
And finally, if your perfect London day ended with one last treat, where would you go and what would you choose?
I have a sweet tooth so I’d always finish off with a gelato at my nearest spot!
