The Golden Key

A free immersive takeover of the City of London

…with theatre, games, and performance for all ages.

15 October 2022

Commissioned by The City of London Corporation and created by Coney and friends, The Golden Key was a free event that transformed the City of London for one day only with a huge programme of immersive theatre, games, and performances.

Exploring the secrets of the City and opening up its doors to people of all ages, the event took place in over 17 locations, from local landmarks to hidden corners of the City. The project was curated and produced by Coney in partnership with a network of artists and companies; featuring 76 performances, games and installations, 32 new commissions and over 200 artists, and the event was attended by 32,000 people.

“I really enjoyed the Maze of Adventures and getting to see parts of the City I had never been to before. […] It was absolutely magical. This event really changed the way I see and think about the City of London.”

Audience member

“The Golden Key was a delight to be part of and an extraordinary animation of key (excuse the pun) areas of the City. Coney worked hard to engage residents in the process and people were very keen to share their hopes, dreams and imaginations for the event and make new connections.”

Shelagh Wright, City of London Resident

“The crypt did look beautiful and I was very impressed with the organisation of the event and also the amount of visitors. The team was a real pleasure to work with.”

Danniella Downs, St Mary-le-Bow, venue for the Maze of Adventures

The programme

The programme included:

  • The Fairs – three family-friendly festivals around City landmarks, including The Fair of Topsy Turvy Power at Guildhall, The Fair of Pathways and Passage at St Paul’s and The Fair of Tall and Small Stories at the Museum of London & the London Wall Highwalks. The programme combined interactive theatre, music, dance, circus, puppetry, games, as well as spectacular fire finales.
  • The Maze of Adventures – twelve smartphone-guided adventures across the Square Mile inspired by the City’s untold stories. These adventures started at iconic red doors installed in public squares, leading to immersive theatre pieces inside secret locations, including a church crypt, a five-star hotel, a livery hall and a Victorian bath house.
  • The Hunt – a smartphone-led cryptic treasure hunt led by a dragon and inspired by the mythologies of the City of London. This self-led piece combined audio and text played via web browser, texts and phone calls from public phone boxes, a printed book containing clues and riddles, and live performance at Tower Bridge, Mansion House and the Old Bailey.
Explore the full programme

Image gallery

Photos by Doug Southall, Ross Kernahan, Robert Piwko, Josie Barnes, Tim Whitby and Chocolate Films.