The Museum of London presents Beasts of London (Photo by Tianxing Bai)

From April 2019 to January 2020, the new exhibition Beasts of London will open in the Museum of London. It is a state of the art, immersive and digital experience that takes visitors on a journey through time, from before London was created up to the present day.

Inspired by objects drawn from the museum's world-class collection and working in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama, this family-friendly show brings you face to face with the beasts both large and small who helped shape the city we know today. Made up of nine episodes, each tells the story of the capital from an animal's perspective, highlighting some of the city's most iconic moments.

The Museum of London presents Beasts of London (Photo by Tianxing Bai)

Starting in prehistory with the very first of London's beasts, you witness the arrival of the Romans. Then comes the Medieval Age when the first menageries were built in the city and then through the disastrous years of the Great Plague of the 1600s. From there you find yourself transported to a rowdy Victorian tavern, center ring beneath a bustling Circus big top and then standing side by side a group of noble horses from through the ages. Finally, you arrive back in the 21st century to explore people's relationship with the city's animals today.

Beasts of London is a multi-sensory experience which sees curators from the Museum of London join forces with multi-award-winning director, designer and audiovisual specialist Dan Shorten - the video projection lead at Guildhall School. Shorten's most recent projects include Blackout at Tower Bridge's Bascule Chamber and Waddesdon Imaginarium at Waddesdon Manor. The animals throughout the experience are voiced by well-known names such as Kate Moss, Brian Blessed, Pam Ferris, Nish Kumar, Stephen Mangan, Angellica Bell and Joe Pasquale, alongside actors from Guildhall School.

The Museum of London presents Beasts of London (Photo by Tianxing Bai)

Francis Marshall, the Senior Curator at the Museum of London, said, “Beasts of London is the first fully-immersive show presented by the Museum of London. It is a journey that is surprising, creative, visually striking, emotionally affecting and encourages visitors to look at the animals of London in a new way and to consider our city from a very different perspective. It is a product of intensive research and boundless imagination from our team in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is sure to appeal to audience members of all ages.”

Beasts of London is part of the Culture Mile programme. (Tianxing Bai)