‘Alcotraz’: An Interactive Night Of Entertainment

Nestled in the streets near Central Station, 30 or so strangers shuffle into prison. Granted, they’re choosing to be there and the ‘contraband’ they’re smuggling in is set to get them alcohol, but as they’re brisked from the pleasant October air into a simulacrum of a prison ward, they’re likely going to be having more fun than with the real thing.

This is Alcotraz, an immersive themed bar experience now arriving in Sydney after enjoying success across the globe. As a curated, interactive night of entertainment that mixes improv theatre with tasty cocktails, it sees you, your friends and the strangers there with you into a comedic rendition of prison where ‘contraband’ flows freely.

After being processed by some fairly lax guards, you’re given orange jumpsuits to slip into and hand off some contraband to the kitchen staff, who soon bring you their special “chicken soup”. From there, you interact with the characters of the show and your fellow inmates for a night of light roleplay and exceptionally made alcohol.

Alcotraz is an undeniably charming and fun experience, but one you’ll get the most out of if you buy into its premise. This isn’t just a night of sitting back and sipping cocktails; the actors in the experience will try to actively engage with you and send you to various locations throughout the small room.

The more you buy into Alcotraz, the better it is

Whether it’s being whisked to the warden’s office for a parole hearing (which I totally flubbed, personally) or visiting your fellow cellmates in solitary, Alcotraz asks that you engage with the light story on display and interact with the characters while sipping your wonderfully made cocktails.

It takes a little bit to get into, but if you’re able to buy into the storytelling and riff a little bit with these actors, it’s a much more enjoyable experience. And the actors are really great, all trained to respond naturally to each ‘prisoner’ and make a meal out of any responses they give. I was particularly fond of the warden, a real diva who was super funny throughout the whole experience.

I do wish Alcotraz perhaps incentivised chatting with your fellow prisoners a bit more. There are a few story moments where attendees will give items to one another, but you’re mostly cordoned off into your cells with the people that you came with, and maybe another small group. Though you interact a lot with the guards, some more social interaction between guests being baked into the story wouldn’t hurt by my estimation.

Nonetheless, Alcotraz is a super enjoyable bar experience that you can enjoy for great drinks and endearing interactions with talented actors. Much more fun if you lean into it, it’s an atypically entertaining way to spend a night out in Sydney.

Alcotraz runs Tuesday to Saturday at 12-16 Chippen Street, Chippendale.