By tf-lawyer.com What makes the TV show Taskmaster so successful? Is it the outrageous challenges designed by “Little” Alex Horne, or is it simply the delight of watching top comedians take them on? Given Taskmaster’s pivotal role in shaping the current live comedy scene—many UK tours kick off after a stint on the show—it’s hard to ignore the latter. Yet, Taskmaster: The Live Experience seems to emphasize the former aspect a bit more.
Set in a revamped warehouse in Canada Water, London, this event brings the show’s universe to life, allowing participants to partake in a series of quirky tasks with friends or strangers—without a professional comedian in sight. (Admittedly, a few may appear at the launch event, enjoying complimentary drinks, but they won’t be regulars.)
Two “unique experiences” are available: Absolute Casserole and Melon Buffet. Accompanied by my 10-year-old son, we arrive for our 6:45 PM slot and find ourselves on the green team for Melon Buffet. Before jumping into the main challenges, we warm up with some interactive tasks in the bar area. Then we step into a replica of the Taskmaster house, where we’re greeted via video by Horne, introducing our real-world host, “Little Little Alex Horne.” He will guide us through five tasks while keeping score on his tablet.
Imagine Taskmaster meets an escape room—only instead of collaborating, it’s every person for themselves. Our first challenge is to guess how many times a rubber ball will bounce on a table. Afterward, we dive into locating the correct switch in a room filled with steampunk curios to light up a specific bulb. The third task involves constructing towers from various garden items and balancing an egg on top.
However, during this challenge, it appears Little Little Alex’s measuring stick is off, leading to a puzzling decision that awards victory to what looked like a shorter tower—unless I misjudged. Things took an uncomfortable turn after the fourth task when, out of a group of six, only one player—a boy about my son’s age—was singled out as the loser and faced some teasing from avatars of Greg Davies and Horne. This clearly wasn’t the most sensitive approach considering the kids involved.
I’m sure that boy will rebound quickly, much like that bouncing rubber ball; overall, the experience was enjoyable. Fans of Taskmaster will likely appreciate this meticulously recreated interactive version, which I would definitely recommend for parties or puzzle-themed gatherings. Still, there are a few details to iron out. Our final challenge experienced some technical hiccups that didn’t align with the pre-recorded commentary, resulting in an anticlimactic finish. I found myself questioning the validity of my Melon Buffet win under such confusing circumstances. Nevertheless, if I can leverage this experience to catch a live UK comedy tour, I doubt I’ll be too concerned.
Taskmaster: The Live Experience is currently taking place at Dock X in London.
