You Me Bum Bum Train review – a solo journey that completely alters your reality

London is famous for its vibrant theatrical scene, but nothing quite prepares you for the bewildering, adrenaline-fueled ride that is You Me Bum Bum Train. After an eight-year hiatus, this legendary immersive show returned with a waiting list more elusive than Taylor Swift tickets. Naturally, I have to find out if it is worth the hype.

From the moment I start researching, I am sucked into the mystery. There’s virtually no information online about what actually happens inside, and whispers of a non-disclosure agreement upon arrival only adds to the intrigue. But what truly piques my curiosity is the fact that the entire production is powered by volunteers – hundreds of them – who dedicate their time to making the magic happen.

Immersive theatre titans like Punchdrunk and Secret Cinema have long captivated London audiences, but the You Me Bum Bum Train company breaks every rule in the book. Unlike other experiences where you share the space with fellow participants, this one is designed for you – and you alone. Solo. No hand-holding, no comfort blanket of a crowd. Just you, navigating an experience so intense and unpredictable that it borders on existential crisis.

I’m someone who likes to know what I’m getting myself into, so stepping into the unknown fills me with equal parts excitement and dread. What if I freeze? What if I embarrass myself? What if it is all too much?

Arriving at a top-secret West End location, my stomach is in knots. There is no time to overthink. I scan my ticket. Doors open. And just like that, I’m inside.

The next hour is an electrifying, mind-bending whirlwind. No time to breathe. No time to think. Just action, reaction, immersion.

One moment, I’m a hero; the next, I’m utterly powerless. I find myself doing things I would never have imagined – stepping into seemingly impossible realities. It is as if I had lived a hundred lives in the span of 60 minutes.

And then there is the fear. The creeping unease. The unsettling moral dilemmas. There are moments where I make decisions I’m not proud of, moments where I feel completely out of my depth. But just as quickly as anxiety grips me, I am laughing, carefree, lost in sheer absurdity.

This isn’t just a show; it is a personal reckoning. You Me Bum Bum Train doesn’t allow you to be a passive observer – it forces you to confront parts of yourself you didn’t know existed. And the scariest part? There’s no time to process any of it. Not until the very end.

At the production’s conclusion, I am overwhelmed. Tears sting my eyes as the weight of the experience hits me: I would never get to relive it. This one-off journey, this beautifully chaotic fever dream, is over. And it has changed me.

As I stand there, trying to make sense of it all, one thought dominates my mind: Who are all those people?

Every single moment of my experience is meticulously orchestrated by an army of volunteers – faces I barely have time to register. People who make me believe in the impossible. People who would perhaps never get the credit they deserve.

Created by Kate Bond and Morgan Lloyd, You Me Bum Bum Train is an audacious, genre-defying masterpiece. The scale of it is mind-blowing – the attention to detail, the sheer number of moving parts. It’s a testament to human creativity, dedication, and the power of shared imagination.

To the volunteers: you are the unsung heroes of this production. You make magic. And you deserve to be celebrated. A program, a wall of names – something to honour your contribution. Because without you, this show simply wouldn’t exist.

I feel ridiculously lucky to have been a part of this “if you know, you know” club. If you ever get the chance to go, take it. It’s equally brilliant and bizarre in all the best ways.

This isn’t just immersive theatre; it’s a full-blown identity crisis wrapped in spectacle. And who knows? You might just discover a whole new version of yourself inside. Or bump into someone you’d never expect…