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'A murder took place over pudding': Inside a Game of Thrones-inspired wedding feast
The wedding of King Joffrey to Margaery Tyrell in the second episode of the fourth series of Game Of Thrones, “The Lion And The Rose” took a week to film on the Croatian cliff tops, complete with a handmade wedding dress, a performance from Sigur Rós, a huge pie filled with live doves.
The spectacle was a feast for the eyes, so it makes sense that when creating a Game Of Thrones-inspired dining experience the creators of Dinner Is Coming decided to parody the Purple Wedding.
The event, which opened this week and continues throughout the show’s final season, takes place at the Vaults, a huge theatre space in the arches under London’s Waterloo station and combines both performance and food in a show of pageantry befitting HBO’s fantasy behemoth.
The stirring theme plays as you enter, immediately transporting guests from a graffiti-covered underground path to the heart of Easteros, where they will become lords and ladies of the Several Kingdoms for an evening, attending the wedding of King Jaffrey and Margarine Trywell (this is very much an unlicensed operation so all places and the characters' names are given pun-filled twists.)
The evening begins in the throne room/bar where all manner of Thrones-themed cocktails such as the Two-Eyed Pigeon (a vodka martini), Snowgroni (negroni), and Margarine’s Rose (Prosecco with rose syrup) are on offer. I recommend trying Milk Of The Poppy, a twist on a white Russian; deliciously tart and smooth, I thought it was excellent and clearly my fellow diners did too, as it was sold out when I went back for a second.
Despite a £35-£55 ticket price, drinks are not included. The evening is best enjoyed while slightly merry, so prepare for a pricey night.
The throne room is nicely decorated with banners from each of the houses, faux-stone castle windows, and guests can pose on a throne decorated with wooden cooking utensils, a fun twist on the show’s iconic sword-clad iron throne.
As we waited for the performance to begin, actors slowly started filtering into the room. Varicose, master of whispers, asked if I’d consider being his informant for the evening. If you see him wandering around, I would absolutely recommend seeking out this opportunity, as it adds a layer of courtly intrigue to the evening’s performance.
From here, GoT viewers will know what to expect. As his reception begins, King Jaffrey is poisoned by one of his wedding guests, setting up a murder mystery which it will be up to visitors to solve over the course of the evening.
This opens an elaborate power vacuum which sees Margarine, Jimmy Bannister (at the behest of his wine-swilling sister Kirsty), and Danni Tarragon seeking to gather supporters in their quest for the throne. Whoever has the most supporters by the end of the evening wins the throne, and all their followers can claim a free glass of wine; a nice bit of motivation to invest yourself in all this.
There’s broad humour at play which is somewhat at odds with the source material. "We're doing incest, but don't tell anyone, will you?" said Kirsty Bannister, at one point, while Danni Tarragon who frequently insists on being called Carly-Z (it took me a minute to pick up the pun) is constantly making bawdy jokes about her time across the 'gaping sea'. Still, the actors try hard and land a lot of laughs; it’s a great deal of fun if you take it for what it is.
The dining hall is the best part of a generally well-appointed set. Flickering candles line the huge feasting tables, flags and chandeliers hang from the ceiling underneath a huge red and gold canopy which wouldn’t seem out of place on the show.
The feast starts with Wildfire Bouillon, a garlic and pea soup served with red radish and fava beans and a crusty bread. It’s simple but tasty, and and the nature of the service meant that we ended up ladling soup out to fellow diners, helping to build a sense of camaraderie.
In between courses, some short scenes take place to help guests unravel the mystery of who killed Jaffrey. Those who signed up to be informants are given some additional clues to unravel, complicating the plot further.
It isn’t long before uninvited guest Jons Know turns up, emphasising his Northern credentials by immediately ordering a Tetley’s at the bar. Does the performance resemble Kit Harrington’s in the show? Absolutely not. Is it laugh-out-loud funny? Absolutely.
The main course was, for me, the best part of the evening. This was the point where I really felt like I was in one of the feasts from the show. Huge platters of food were laid before us: crispy chicken wings, a whole roast lamb shoulder, roast potatoes, a crown of spiced cauliflower, and a delicious mixed bean and sweet potato pie.
There’s something about physically reaching across a table to snatch the last cut of lamb out from under the nose of a fellow diner which just makes one feel like a medieval lord. Bow down, subjects!
As the table next to us started on the drinking songs, Margarine sat down beside me and dared me to try a chicken wing while attempting to convincing me of her innocence.
Of course, this being a Game Of Thrones-inspired wedding feast, a murder took place over pudding (red wine poached pear: delectable), and we were summoned back to the throne room to cast our final votes.
I won’t spoil the resolution to the murder mystery but, rest assured, it is just as bonkers as the rest of the evening, involving the appearance of a dragon (no, seriously), and plenty of double crosses.
Dinner Is Coming isn’t in any way faithful to the source material. You need basically zero prior knowledge of Game Of Thrones, characters bear little more than a passing resemblance to the television counterparts; those looking for a Secret Cinema-style experience may be disappointed.
If, however, you’re prepared to eat, drink, laugh, and throw yourself into it, it’s a delightful, zany celebration of all things Thrones, successfully pricking at the show’s more pompous elements, while honouring the twists and turns that made us fall in love with it in the first place.