The Murder Trial Live
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If Fyre Festival and the Wonka Experience had a baby - a trial of my patience
I attended The Murder Trial Live in Oxford for the Sunday matinee on 22nd September, and unfortunately, it was not the experience I had hoped for. Advertised as running from 12-4, the event didn’t begin until 1:15 pm and ended at 4:15 pm, leaving us waiting around unnecessarily. To make matters worse, there was no cover provided for the queue, forcing us to stand in the rain before entering. The venue was a blow-up arena in the middle of a field, which didn’t feel particularly inviting or well thought out. The portaloos were understocked and appeared inaccessible to disabled attendees, which is something that should have been better addressed. Inside the arena, it was cramped, dark, and lacking comfort. Before entering, we were instructed to discard any drinks we had—some people around us had to throw away perfectly good coffee and water. The entire setup felt like what would happen if Fyre Festival and the Wonka Experience had a baby—chaotic, overpriced, and baffling. We had pre-paid for parking, yet when we arrived, we were asked to pay again despite there being ample space in the open field. Fortunately, we arrived early enough to sit where we had booked, but not everyone was so lucky as seating appeared to be first-come, first-served for some guests. We opted for the afternoon tea, and while I was lucky enough to have a table, many others had to eat from their laps. My friend had the gluten-free option, which was quite a quirky selection for £25, but not in a good way. As for drinks, the prices were extortionate—£3 for a cup of coffee where you had to make it yourself with a sachet of Nescafé! A bottle of water, a Peroni Zero, and a small pack of chocolate buttons set me back £14, which was absurd. Adding insult to injury, the tables had notices asking us to report other guests who brought their own snacks—an unnecessary touch that dampened the mood even further. Despite the poor facilities and organization, the acting was solid. There were some microphone issues, but the cast handled it well. The interactive element of voting as jurors was fun, and it did help redeem the experience somewhat. Unfortunately, the rest of the event failed to live up to expectations. Overall, I would give The Murder Trial Live 2 stars. The concept is great, and the actors delivered, but the execution of the event left a lot to be desired.