Have you ever wanted to escape from everyday life and into a virtual reality?
Having found success in Belgium and The Netherlands, Park Playground is now adding the UK to its list of countries that can experience virtual reality in an exciting space - and Leeds is the very first city to be a part of this.
The Park Playground opened just a few months ago, and it's bringing some of the most exciting experiences to the city that are suitable for anyone aged 7+.
You don't have to be a gamer or someone that understands the logistics of the AR and VR - just someone willing to take on a challenge and experience a whole new world.
Grab your VR goggles and a futuristic controller and choose from challenges like Don't Scream (which is as scary as it sounds), alien battle on Mission Planet X VR or take on The Snitch where you'll have to think fast to protect your group from sabotage.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The VR Experience
The idea here is that you don't just jump into an adrenaline-fuelled experiences, entering a virtual reality can take some getting used to, so the team have devised a number of games to help get you used to your goggles and new surroundings.
Every session is split into two 30-minute slots. First, take on a challenge like walking the plank on top of a skyscraper, before attempting a series of mini games like boxing and bow and arrow practice.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Then you're ready to take on a fully-immersive experience with a 30 minute challenge.
Don't Scream is perfect for those looking to truly immerse themselves in a virtual reality space. The idea is that you take on an escape room-style experience where there's surprises round every corner to make you jump. There's only one rule - don't scream!
The game is measured on a 'scream o'metre' and every time you scream, you'll gain points - but this isn't a good thing. Whoever screams the least, and therefore has the lowest score on the scream o'metre wins.
It's a world that combines eerie jump-scares with problem solving, hosted by comedian and evil genius David Whitely that certainly isn't for the faint hearted.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Regardless of which challenge you choose to take on, the Park Playground will have you working as a team. This makes the space perfect for friends, family and co-workers alike.
In fact, you can hire the space with a multitude of packages depending on your needs - and yes, they can include a debrief in the bar.
The Play and Lunch package gives you 60 minutes of game time followed by a choice of catering options, including sandwiches, burgers, pastas and pizzas whilst Play Eat and Drink adds on two hours of selected drinks at the bar, including soft drinks, beer and wines.
Those looking for a fun-filled work day can take advantage of the Meet and VR experience that gives you access to the on-site meeting room where you can do business during a four hour slot and then blow off some steam with two 30 minute VR experiences.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Similarly, the Play, Eat and Work package offers the meeting room and VR experiences, plus a buffet or pizza spread one hour of soft drinks, beer and wine from the bar.
There's even packages for Stag and Hen events, all of which can be personalised based on the number of people attending and what you'd like included.
How to book
The Park Playground works on a pre-booking basis, so you'll need to book yourself a place on the Park Playground website ahead of your trip.
The process itself is really simple, all you need to do is choose your package and time. Alternatively if you're looking for a larger group or corporate event, you can personalise your experience by filling in a request form and the team will get back to you.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
How to get there
The Park Playground is located just outside of the city centre in Burley.
You can grab an Uber from the station for less than a tenner (usually around the £6 mark), or make the most of the venue’s easy transport links from Burley. The walk to The Park Playground just a 10 minute walk from Burley Park Station and there are several bus routes from Leeds Station and the City Centre, including the 33, 34 and 508 bus routes that call at the Willow Road bus stop on Kirkstall Road.
Alternatively, the Park Playground has plenty of car parking space, or is a ten minute walk from Burley Park train station.
A 20-year-old man from Bradford has been sentenced to time in prison this week after admitting to numerous child sex offences.
Following an investigation initially by West Mercia and Lancashire Police, Kasey Fitton, aged 20 of Amundsen Avenue in Bradford, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with four children residing outside of West Yorkshire Police force area.
An investigation was then launched by Bradford Safeguarding Unit, who went on to uncover large-scale sexual offending against children.
In February 2026, Fitton was charged with 16 counts of sexual communication with a child and 20 counts of making/possession of indecent images of children - with police confirming that five child victims have been identified.
At Bradford Crown Court, Fitton admitted to all 36 counts, and then earlier this week (7 September), he was jailed for seven and a half years, plus a five year extension on licence. He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life, and he has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
Speaking following the sentencing this week, Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of Bradford District Police, described Fitton as a 'very dangerous individual to children'.
"There are further investigations ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to us," DSI Weekes said.
"We are keen to speak to anyone who interacted with the Snapchat accounts Kaseyfitton23, Kaseyfitton24 and MyCroft110.
"We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and they are treated with sensitivity. We have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process and do everything we can to get justice."
Featured Image - West Yorkshire Police
News
History has never been this fun – Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House | Review
Declan Kelly
Don’t judge a book by its cover... or in this case, a musical by its posters.
Going in completely blind, I really didn’t know what to expect from Operation Mincemeat. In fact, after the first number, I found myself thinking, I’m not sure this is quite my cup of tea.
How wrong I was.
Watching Tuesday night’s performance at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, I was quickly proven wrong about what I thought a musical needed to be. There are no huge sets, endless costume changes, or hundreds of performers filling the stage. Instead, Operation Mincemeat delivers a genuinely funny, surprisingly heart-warming story with just five performers, while somehow teaching you a bit of history along the way.
If I had to sum this show up in two words? Belly laughter.
Based on the real-life British intelligence operation during the Second World War, the musical follows the unlikely group tasked with convincing Hitler that the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily.
And honestly, if you didn’t already know it actually happened, you’d probably think someone had made it up. That ridiculousness is exactly what makes the show work. The comedy comes thick and fast, with characters, accents, and personalities constantly changing as the five-strong cast jump between roles.
And this is where the production really impressed me.The multi-roling is incredibly slick. A pair of glasses, a change in voice or a small shift in posture can completely transform a character, and somehow it never feels like a gimmick. Instead, it becomes part of the magic of the production. It’s a brilliant example of how much can be achieved on stage without throwing money at elaborate sets or costumes.
Credit: Matt CrockettCredit: Matt Crockett
But underneath all the comedy is where Operation Mincemeat really surprised me.
One of the standout performances for me came from Christian Andrews as Hester Leggatt. During ‘Roses’, Andrews completely captivates the audience while portraying an older woman writing about the experience of wives waiting for their loved ones away at war.
What makes the moment so effective is its simplicity. With little more than a pair of glasses, Andrews transforms into Hester, but there is never any sense that the character is being played for laughs. Instead, there is real care and respect in the performance.
Andrews captures the loneliness, vulnerability, and uncertainty of a woman whose life has been put on hold while her partner is away fighting. After so much laughter, the sudden change in tone really lands. For me, it was one of the clearest examples of the craftsmanship behind the show. Both the writing and performance manage to find genuine emotion without losing the production’s personality.
The music follows the same balance, moving between big, energetic numbers and quieter moments that give the characters room to breathe. It never feels like songs have been added simply because this happens to be a musical; they actually help tell the story.
And despite being based on a historical event, it never feels like a history lesson.
Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House / Credit: Matt Crockett
In fact, I left the theatre wanting to find out more about the real Operation Mincemeat, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give it and definitely will be watching the film very soon.
If you’re heading to the theatre expecting huge dance numbers, powerhouse ballads and elaborate sets, then this might not be the show for you. But if you want something different, something that will have you laughing at one of the strangest stories in British history while leaving you amazed at just how slick a production can be with only five cast members, then this is absolutely worth seeing.
What I initially thought wasn’t my cup of tea ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the evening.
Funny, clever, completely bonkers at times and unexpectedly moving, Operation Mincemeat proves you don’t need a massive production to make a big impression. I have seen a lot of theatre productions in my life, but I have never seen anything as slick as this production, and that is pure talent at its finest.
Sometimes, all you need is a ridiculous true story, five brilliant performers and a whole lot of belly laughs.
Sophie Smith -
2nd March 2023 
