Waterlooville actor becomes games master for award-winning online escape room company
AN ACTOR from Waterlooville has swapped the West End for online escape rooms with a role she credits to turning around her mental health.
After performing in pantomimes and international tours of musicals for more than six years, Gracie Lai was suddenly left without work earlier this year as the Covid-19 pandemic shut theatres across the country.
Now, the performer has been cast in a new type of role – becoming a games master for an online escape room company.
Gracie will join players on a Zoom call in order to guide them through an interactive and immersive heist called Agent Venture, which has won several industry awards.
The 31-year-old said: ‘I really look forward to hosting a game; the players we have are always so engaged and it's like having an intimate private audience to your performance.
‘I’ve got back the release of performing I had missed so much over the last six months.’
The role comes as a huge relief for the actor, who said being left unemployed overnight and forced to move from London to her parent’s home in Waterlooville was ‘a tough pill to swallow’.
She added: ‘While it’s been lovely, I never thought I’d have to return back home due to financial difficulties.
‘By summer, I’d normally be starting to get ready for panto season but that was looking less and less likely as the days went on.’
‘I felt ashamed and it really knocked my confidence.
‘It really impacted my mental health as performing is a real outlet for me to release and
express myself.’
The online escape room – created by company The Adventure Is Real – sees players embark on a spy mission where they play the backroom support staff to an infield agent.
Chris Stylianou, founder of The Adventure Is Real said: ‘We are delighted to hear how Agent Venture has been able to help Gracie back into getting to do what she loves, performing.
‘We are happy we can offer people something different and fun to take their minds off while also supporting our fantastic ever-growing crew of actors while the industry is struggling.’