Explore London West End with a wizard

• 'Gandalf' gives an audio tour of West End
• Tours available in over 50 cities worldwide

 
 

“YOU shall pass!” bellows a voice that sounds eerily like Gandalf the Grey, while you hover at the entrance to Somerset House, overlooking the Thames. Today, Sir Ian McKellen is wearing a different sort of wizard’s hat: he’s guiding you around London’s West End using the magic of GPS, on an audio tour that combines the history of Theatreland with memories of his career on the stage.
 
This was produced by Official London Theatre, in partnership with smartphone app, VoiceMap. The app uses the same technology as sat nav devices and applications like Google Maps, but does more than just provide directions.
 
VoiceMap’s tours, available in over 50 cities worldwide, are like podcasts that move with you, to automatically tell stories about what you’re seeing right now. When McKellen asks if you can see a mousetrap hidden on top of the Agatha Christie Memorial near Leicester Square, you will be standing right in front of it.
 
Official London Theatre, which promotes scheduled walking tours of the West End’s Theatreland with qualified guides, wanted to also offer visitors the flexibility of taking part in a walking tour at a time which suited them. “The idea of a downloadable audio tour was an obvious solution,” said Julian Bird, Society of London Theatre CEO. “Research led us to partnering with VoiceMap as experts in this field. We hope to expand over time to offer tailored tours as well as tours in different languages."
 
The audio tour is free and compatible with iPhones and Android devices.
 
Related Stories:
 
App revenue to double by 2020, outpacing downloads: Ovum
 
Telco Deep Dive: The hidden costs of app use
 
Enthusiasts can buy new Xiaomi Mi Note via Uber app

 
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.