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The last time I saw Morgan Lloyd and Kate Bond – creators and curators of the immersive phenomenon that is ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ – it was to conduct an exclusive interview announcing the iconic show’s return after four long years.
Unfortunately this was March 2020, and the ‘YMBBT’ comeback ended up being scuppered by the pandemic before it was even publicly announced. ‘It was heartbreaking and it was almost the end,’ recalls Lloyd over email, in another exclusive interview announcing the iconic show’s return after eight long years.
In the end, it was not the end. And indeed while the scrapped 2020 version had been intended as a slightly different take on the show, this is old school, classic ‘Bum Bum Train’.
‘There were two main drivers for bringing the show back,’ says Lloyd. ‘One, a few pieces of creative that
have been haunting us. There was one idea that wouldn’t leave us alone (because it was special) and it felt like it was our responsibility to make it happen. And two, really valuing and mourning the loss of the unique community who come together to manifest the show.’
What is ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’? The basic idea is fairly easy to explain: it’s an immersive theatre show for one audience member at a time, and each of these so-called ‘passengers’ goes through a series of different rooms, each of which effectively casts them as the lead character of a different scenario. The nature of the scenarios is intended to be a closely guarded secret (the only publicity images ever released are of Lloyd and Bond goofing about), but the cumulative effect is inevitably utterly joyous, like a rollercoaster crossed with a series of deliriously happy dreams.
Each scenario is spectacularly realised, with lavish immersive sets and many other characters in them, who are played by volunteers. Indeed, the whole show is only possibly because it attracts a loyal volunteer army of both performers and crew: it makes no economic sense at all, and demand for it inevitably colossally outstrips supply.
It is hugely beloved, and Lloyd says it’s effectively an idea much bigger than him and Bond: ‘“YMBBT” isn’t just our show, it belongs to the entire community that comes together to make it happen. Over the years, it’s become something much bigger than us, and we’re always mindful of how much it means to everyone involved, from passengers to volunteers and everyone in between.
‘We’ve witnessed firsthand how YMBBT has transformed people’s lives, from the senior lawyer who became a successful standup comedian to the university graduate who became the top immersive production manager in Europe. There’s definitely a sense of responsibility, but it’s also what drives us.’
Here’s what you need to know.
‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ will return in November, with exact dates and location TBA. Tickets will be available via a public ballot opening at 10am on September 3 and running for two weeks until 9pm on September 17, with sales links sent out on September 20 to successful entrants. If you win then you have the option to buy up to two tickets for £99.99, plus £5 booking. Previous onsales have been more popular than Glastonbury, so go in with a philosophical mindset.
However, there’s also the flipside, which is volunteering. ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ is only possible via a large and active volunteer community. There are inevitably some complaints that ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ is only made possible via unpaid labour. Which is true, but it’s always enthusiastic unpaid labour and it’s the only way it can really exist. There is no massive commitment required if you only want to do the odd shift, and aside from opportunities for polishing your CV, it’s the only way to see the show without being a passenger. The bottom line is that ‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ is the most exclusive ticket in London – but if you want to be part of it, you can be.
‘You Me Bum Bum Train’ is at a TBA West End location from a date TBA in Nov. The ticket ballot opens Sep 3 and close Sep 17. To enter the ballot and to sign up as a volunteer, head to www.bumbumtrain.co.uk.
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