Don’t be afraid of entering North Lismore’s Illuminarium. Even though it’s called an escape room - you can leave at any time. 

Hidden away in North Lismore, it’s a game that requires you to think creatively and solve an intricate puzzle. It’s described by its creator Talulah Rae as an immersive storytelling escape room game. 

Called ‘Escape the Dreamspell’, the game takes place in a room that’s reminiscent of a forgotten era – with velvet curtains, and ancient books, keys and hidden surprises. 

When I visited the Illuminarium, I was told to bring to up to five friends – so we could work together over a one hour period to discover a trail of clues. 

Our brains trust had one hour to pool our talents and we worked our way through the puzzle to find the answers that the enigmatic trail of clues eventually led us to.

At times, finding the next clue was frustrating. But elation quickly followed as we discovered when the next clue was hidden – eventually emerging triumphant at the end.

Talulah Rae said this is the second escape room experience she has created. She’s an event producer who had a residency at the Quad cancelled because of Covid last year – where she was creating immersive interactive experiences. 

The room the Illuminarium is in is a travelling theatre that Talulah said she had had for ten years.

“I’ve used it for lots of shows,” she said. “It can be a green room, bar, kitchen and black and white movie theatre - but Covid meant I couldn’t use it for a while.”

But now, she is back in action, and taking bookings for visits – and soon intends to tour the theatre to different events and festivals.

Talulah Rae.

Talulah said the idea for creating an escape room with a difference came from a visit to Poland when she visited an immersive experience at a 13th century castle.

“I met escape room designers there and after talking to them I wanted to design an escape room with a story,” she said.

“Behind each of the puzzles in the Illuminarium is a lot of story and effort. Each part of the puzzle is designed along the Kabbala symbology.

“It’s hero’s journey puzzled through the Ancient Gnostic teachings of The Tree of Life. It’s divine comedy, a gameshow and a romp through the evolution of human consciousness and the nature of reality.

“It’s also a lot of fun as you perform tasks, decipher codes, open secret chambers and help each other emerge Illuminated in an hour.”

In the game, you can have 2 to 6 participants – and it could be an idea to bring some teenagers who are gamers – apparently they work out the clues quicker than others. 

Illuminarium is located in The Strumpet Salon in North Lismore and is open for the duration of the school holidays.

To book in, visit https://www.themagictheatre.com.au/illuminarium

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