This February, one of Edinburgh’s most historically significant visitor attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, launches its most ambitious and exclusive event to date. The adult-only immersive experience inspired by the Cape Club, a real secret society of the Scottish Enlightenment, is the first of its kind for The Close, in which guests are not observers, but active participants.
Taking place for two nights only, on the 26th and 27th February, the four-hour long Cape Controversy experience delves into the mysterious society whose real-life members included poets, artists and playwrights. Every major character encountered during the evening is based on a historical figure from Enlightenment Edinburgh, including poet Robert Fergusson; the notorious William Brodie, who inspired the infamous story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; and the mysterious NM, a prominent social figure of the era.
The experience is rooted directly in the site’s history. Craig’s Close, one of the four closes that make up The Real Mary King’s Close, was once home to The Isle of Man Arms tavern, a known meeting place for members of the Cape Club and a haunt of Robert Fergusson. Today, two memorial plaques mark this connection: one on Cockburn Street, beside what would have been the lower section of Craig’s Close, and another on the Royal Mile, at the top of what was once the close.
Through interactive storytelling, guests are sworn into the society and drawn into its internal dynamics, as secrets, rivalries and tensions begin to surface. As the night unfolds, alliances shift, secrets surface and you are asked to make a final choice. Phones are removed on entry, reinforcing the sense of secrecy and total immersion, while costumes and period details transform the underground setting into a living, breathing world.
Created and delivered by local hospitality experts, the Culinarians, dinner is served and woven directly into the experience, with each course revealed as part of the unfolding narrative. With costumed storytellers guiding the evening and capacity strictly limited to 40 guests per night, the Cape Controversy experience is an exclusive after-hours transformation at one of Edinburgh’s most popular historical sites.
Paul Nixon, general manager at The Real Mary King’s Close said: “The Cape Club plays an important role in a number of the tours and experiences we offer here at The Real Mary King’s Close. With notable alumni such as poet Robert Fergusson, Deacon Brodie and Alison Cockburn, it brought together some of Edinburgh’s most influential thinkers within a deeply secretive society.
“The Cape Controversy gives our team the chance to bring that history to life in a way we have never done before at The Close, offering guests the rare opportunity to step beyond observation and become active participants in the experience.”
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The Cape Controversy experience runs for two nights only on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th February, starting at 7.00 pm, lasting approximately four hours. Tickets are priced at £285 per person, including the full dinner and interactive experience. With a maximum of 40 guests per evening, availability is extremely limited and tours are expected to sell out quickly.
To book, please visit: www.realmarykingsclose.com/event/the-cape-controversy/
