The Crash of the Elysium is a one-hour theatrical work created originally for children by the British company Punchdrunk, centred on the unexplained disappearance of a Victorian steamer named the Elysium and its investigation by the Eleventh Doctor from the television series Doctor Who . [1] It premiered at MediaCityUK in Salford from 1 to 17 July 2011 as part of the Manchester International Festival, with a central narrative idea from Steven Moffat and written by Tom MacRae. It features the Weeping Angels [2] and footage of Matt Smith as the Doctor specially recorded for the show. [3] Its target audience is children from 6 to 12, [4] with adults allowed in if accompanied by a child on "family" shows. A number of adults-only shows were subsequently added following requests from the public. On 16 July 2011, Matt Smith made a surprise visit to the show, [5] appearing in character in place of the final video sequence. [6] The show was remounted in Ipswich in 2012 as part of London 2012's Olympics festival. [7]
Alfred Hickling of The Guardian awarded the production five out of five stars. [8]