An Interview with Tandem

We sat down with Jordan and Eleanor from Tandem Set and Scenery, to find out all of the work that goes behind the build of Phantom Peak and some of their favourite memories!

Can you introduce yourselves and describe what you do?

Hello, we are Jordan Oliver and Eleanor Robson, we are the Senior Designers and Production Managers at Tandem Set and Scenery.

And you work for Tandem Set & Scenery, who are they?

Jordan: Tandem are a set building company founded by Glen Hughes and Leah Morgan, Glen also happens to be the co-founder of The League of Adventure and one of the minds behind Phantom Peak alongside Nick Moran.

Eleanor: Tandem are the team behind a number of entertainment venues and projects across the UK and globally. We design, build and install projects ranging from Escape Rooms, Multi Room Entertainment Venues, large scale immersive all the way to events, PR Stunts and Theatre shows. We like to think there's no sector of the entertainment industry Tandem hasn’t had a hand in building at some point and it’s exciting to not know what project we might have coming through the workshop next.

How long have you been involved with Phantom Peak?

Jordan: From an empty warehouse and outdoor space to London’s longest running open-world immersive experience, we have both been a part of Phantom Peak from the very beginning! Before it was even called Phantom Peak; there were A LOT of different names we went through. We had many a late night in our workshop taking Phantom Peak through a number of iterations; it’s a completely different experience to what our original concept was! 

Eleanor: I remember visiting the Canada Water site for the first time when it consisted of a car park and a disused warehouse and it was so exciting to embark on a venue of this scale. Seeing the venue at the beginning you’d never think it could become the colourful, crazy, fun experience we all know and love working on. We went through so many different versions of Phantom Peak and we’re excited to see what the future of Phantom Peak has in store! 

What is your favourite memory of working on Phantom Peak?

Jordan: I have a number of favourite memories while working on and at Phantom Peak; in the early days you may have seen some of the build team working on the bar, manning the door or even pushing people round on the Boat Ride that must not be mentioned.

I think the key memory for me though is being at the Launch event, seeing a queue of 100s of people about to enter the venue we had worked on for months, the late nights, the hard work and effort finally being realised and opening was an exciting but scary moment for us all!

Eleanor: Phantom Peak has been an incredible project to be a part of and there are so many memories to pick from. I have two that stand out for me. The first was during the build when we were close to opening up the new town and small section of the Old Town and the Phantom Peak music came over the speakers for the first time, it really brought the whole experience together and enabled us to really picture what an incredible place this could be.

The second memory was when we opened the doors way back in Season 1 and saw all of the joy it brought people for the first time. Seeing adults explore the venue having so much fun and running at the end of the show from character to character trying to complete that final trail before the festival of Phantom Peak was over for the evening was something that was really special to the whole team to see.

Is there anything that you’ve created that the average tourist might not have noticed?

Jordan: Personally I love hiding things in anything Tandem builds that probably no one will ever notice, but I know it’s there! Phantom Peak was no exception. There was one thing I was asked to hide all the way back before Phantom Peak was opened by Nick Moran himself for a puzzle in the first Season. The “closed” buildings by the outdoor seating area feature four signs within which are a set of hidden arrows pointing in four different directions, which I will add were then never used for a LONG time! It took me a long time to design and I promise I didn’t hold a grudge about it for weeks if not months…

Another which I don’t know if people have noticed a number of the old town building have double signage, showing what the building once was and what it became when JONACO took over the town, which I think makes the town feel alive giving it a real history you can see around you in not only the trails and stories but the set itself.

Eleanor: It’s so much fun hiding little easter eggs that you know are there but the average person might not notice. One thing I put into the set is linked back to where Tandem’s workshop is based in Paddock Wood. The purple trim around the canals in the new town has the same pattern as the trim at Paddock Wood Train Station - unlikely that anyone would make that link, even my colleagues who passed through the train station on a daily basis didn’t see but it was fun to put something in the set that no one else would see.

Who are the unsung heroes of Phantom Peak?

Both: Everyone at Phantom Peak is a key player in making the show what it is for every tourist who steps into the town, but there is a huge team who no one really knows about. Tandem and their team not only built everything you see in the venue but we are also the group of people who come in at the end of every season and completely change the look, feel, trail content, props and decorations.

Our team is made up of Designers, Programmers, Scenic Artists, Prop Makers, Fabricators, Carpenters, Lighting Designers, Sound Engineers, Riggers, Video Editors, CNC Operators the list goes on and I really hope we haven't forgotten anyone! It really has been a whole team effort to make Phantom Peak as successful as it is and each person on the build team deserves more than recognition for being a part of that and putting in an incredible amount of hard work.

What are you most looking forward to in the new venue of Phantom Peak?

Jordan: There is so much we are looking forward to in the new venue, being able to revisit a design on this scale is very rare and we are excited to be able to make improvements across the venue to solve some of the issues we currently have with the Canada Water site, eagle eyed Tourists may have already notice the new and improved Videomatics already installed at the current Phantom Peak. Tech improvements, building improvements, it will still be the Phantom Peak you all know and love but somehow we are going to make it better. I know you might think it's perfect already but there is always room for improvement!

Eleanor: I’m looking forward to continuing on the story of Phantom Peak in a Venue that builds on Phantom Peak 1.0! We’ve learnt so much from the first venue from the build and layout to the story and creative direction that we have so many ideas of what we would like to incorporate to make it both more functional and fun for everyone to enjoy

Is there anything you can reveal about the new venue which nobody knows yet?

Jordan: There isn’t much we want to reveal about the new venue just yet, but one thing I think we can say is the show elements are going to be better than ever before!

Eleanor: A couple of characters that are currently roaming the venue might be getting their own personal areas for them to make their own but we wouldn’t want to reveal too many surprises especially as ideas for how we can design Phantom Peak to be as enjoyable as possible for the tourists are evolving as time goes on - trust us, it’ll be the essence of the current Phantom Peak everybody loves with some improvements and new experiences incorporated within it.