Alcotraz – an immersive cocktail experience has opened in Melbourne this week – a unique theatrical night out that involves going to a fictional prison to drink cocktails and interact with a cast of actors who play inmates and guards. Melbourning was given the opportunity to attend a preview evening of the experience ahead of its official opening.
Inspired by the notorious Alcatraz prison off the coast of San Francisco, Alcotraz requires participants to become inmates attempting to smuggle contraband liquor past a few shifty guards who are willing to look the other way. The concept has already been delivered in the UK, and now it’s being brought to Melbourne.
On arrival, you’re welcomed by two guards who provide you with a bright orange prison jumpsuit, go over the ground rules for the experience and show you to your cell – I imagine this is similar to what actually happens if you’re going to prison in the USA, but I don’t really have a reliable frame of reference other than a bunch of movies and binge-watching seven entire seasons of Orange is the New Black.
Once inside your cell you’ll meet some of the characters who call Alcotraz home, including the mixologists who portray inmates that want to help you turn your smuggled contraband into delicious cocktails to sip right under the nose of the tough Warden who runs the place. Which is much better than making your own toilet hooch like the ladies in Litchfield Prison, if you ask me.
Guests who manage to win the favour of the crooked guards will gain access to explore secret areas, such as the Solitary Confinement Block to hatch an escape plan with their gang or the Warden’s Office to negotiate their parole.
I personally managed to talk my way into being paroled, while the rest of the group who went with me to the Warden’s Office had theirs denied. In reality, I’d probably have been shanked by one of the other inmates for the things that I said in order to get my parole granted (basically I was willing to snitch on anyone),
There’s a storyline that unfolds throughout the evening, which I won’t give away here because nobody likes spoilers. Snitches get stitches and all that. However it’s fair to say the actors who play the guards and other inmates maintain a high level of authenticity and energy throughout, ensuring that the illusion of being inside their prison world is sustained over the course of the evening, all while trying to get things past the Warden.
As well as sticking to their script, these actors display a great ability to improv based on what you say to them and blend your conversations in to their often hilarious performances and actor-led storytelling.
The set design for Alcotraz is excellent. You’ll be stepping into a meticulously designed venue that resembles a prison with metal bars, authentic props and dim lighting. This attention to detail enhances the immersive experience, putting you in the middle of the theatre sipping cocktails from your cell as theatre unfolds around you.
All up, you’ll be served four cocktails per person while watching and participating in the show. Alcotraz would be a great idea for a date night, a birthday party, hen’s nights or just for a fun night out with a group of friends. My plus one for the evening was a young adult who is planning to go back again with her mates – a very high seal of approval in her world.
It is worth noting, however, that the experience might not be for everyone. People who hate dressing up or participating in things will probably find it daunting. There’s also the issue that the prison theme might be intense or problematic for some people. And others might not like having to take their own spirits to a bar to have cocktails made from it – although the theatre of the experience is what your cover fee is paying for.
Alcotraz is at 592 Elizabeth Street Melbourne. Tickets start at $63 and bookings are essential.
