Review: Hope End
- ThomM
- May 13
- 6 min read
Updated: May 13
“I see dead people…and one of them might keep me from joining them.” The Ministry of Peculiarities elevates the concept of escape room to another realm.
Immersive Scene Los Angeles 2026 Review
Immersive Scene Los Angeles admits we’d never spent any real time in Azusa until this past weekend. Sure, we’ve driven by it on freeways a few dozen times over the years, but there was never really a reason to visit. That’s changed now, as we’ve discovered what might be the most inventive, clever and thought-provoking escape room in California — if not the entire country.
In fact, to call Hope End, the latest investigative offering by The Ministry of Peculiarities, merely an escape room only would be a disservice. Just as an Alfa Romeo isn’t merely a car, and the Rolling Stones aren’t merely a band, this hybrid escape-room-meets- interactive theatre experience is the apex of what the cross-genre entertainment can be.
First, the case history, directly from the Ministry’s website, which every new investigator, aka ticket holder, should read before venturing forth.
“Hope End is the ancestral home of the Hope Family, last inhabited by Mrs. Dolores Wright (nee Hope) and her well-to-do family: her husband, Ulysses, her son, Percival, her mother Persephone, her sister, Cassandra, and her sister-in-law, Lilith. 110 years ago, tragedy struck, and, except for Dolores herself, every member of the family perished under mysterious circumstances. The mansion has remained uninhabited ever since, driving away potential buyers with its reputation for otherworldly occurrences.”
Armed with that unsettling bit of knowledge, our intrepid and slightly anxious team of four — one writer terrible at any puzzle other than a crossword, an accountant (surely helpful with anything involving numbers), a banker, and a lawyer (both to better help us understand legalese and maybe offer insight into how rich people think) — stepped into the haunted world to help unravel the long-festering case.
But before we were permitted entry into the mansion, as freshly deputized investigators now, we’d first spend a few minutes with the Ministry’s exuberantly enthusiastic gatekeeper, Annie (Madysen Papke). Her sheer delight at our mere presence somehow managed to both calm and jangle our nerves for what lay ahead. After questioning us and typing up our pre-investigative entry report on an old-school relic, Annie wished us well and steered us down a long hallway and into another world, one more than a century removed from our own.
There, looming before us, was the foreboding entrance to the Edwardian mansion where so much grim and unexplained mayhem had unfolded over a century ago. We stood in an uneasy silence, awaiting whatever might happen next, when a spectral presence from that very past, Dolores (Paris Langle) herself, appeared among us. She was unmistakably dead, and as the only Hope family member to have left this earth by natural causes in such an unnatural place, she had no doubt been viewed with suspicion when still alive.
Perhaps even more so now.
In cryptic verse, she shared more with us about the Hope End curse and the tragedy that had befallen her strange family, then offered us dire warnings of betrayal and death. When her gaze locked onto mine, I felt the ominous message was being steered to me even more than my colleagues. Was this black-clad spirit a friend or foe? Murderess or scapegoat? Were her intentions toward us benevolent or malevolent? We’d learn the truth before night’s end.
After showing us the way inside, Dolores disappeared as stealthily as any proper ghost should. It wouldn’t be the last time she’d materialize.
Thus began our official duty as would-be solvers of whatever had undone this un-dearly departed family — renowned for their treachery, their secrets and, oh yes, their exquisite taste in furnishings. For the next ninety minutes, okay, who am I fooling, two-hours (I told you, I’m terrible at puzzles) our sleuth-like team moved through room after room in Hope End, tumbling down the rabbit hole as we pieced together shadows of the tragedy.
Sometimes together, sometimes alone, we tackled tasks, puzzles, expositional breadcrumbs, spirited voices, hints slid under doors, lots of keys and locks, and revelations that grew more shocking by the minute, as we uncovered what befell the Hope Family when madness found its methods. In the end, we’d discover that betrayal cuts deep, treachery knows no limits, and that if your real estate agent ever urges you grab this place at a bargain price, fire them immediately.
The joint is haunted!
Making every effort to offer a near-spoiler free observation of Hope End, we can only suggest these further two bits of advice. First: see it at the soonest opportunity, and know you’re getting far more than what one typically thinks of in an escape room experience. Yes, the familiar find-this, unlock-that and decipher-those elements are copiously present for the die-hard fans of puzzles, but there is so much more to unpack here. This really is a richly immersive and interactive, cast-driven experience in great theatre…that just happens to wear an escape room mask.
Second: when you go, make every effort to bring a group of six to eight. There’s a lot of overlapping mystery to solve (which partly explains the generous extra half-hour our group of four was allotted). This is no garden-variety whodunnit — it requires some genuinely collective brainpower. Numbers are always better in these cases.
The two performers we interacted with during the investigation were both exceptional. Before you’re even in the same room with her, Papke’s Annie has you laughing; her joy at, well, pretty much everything is infectious — a perfect boost before the dark story in the mansion unfolds. As the spirit of Dolores, Langle is simply a revelation. You might expect this level of performance on a Broadway stage or at the Taper, but probably not in an escape room. Langle’s movement, speech and close-quarters acting is as good as it gets. Both artists’ well-drawn performances and unwavering commitment to character are reason enough to take in the show. There are other actor appearances you’ll hear and even glimpse in ways best left unmentioned here. All are memorable for their manner of reveal and the craftiness behind it.
Another star of the production is the hauntingly beautiful and quite elaborate set design and decoration. I can’t imagine how much work went into creating this multi-room mansion, but the result is tremendous. Each room is painstakingly fitted with artfully curated furniture, paintings, props and period ephemera that feel not stagy but fully authentic. Unsurprisingly, special effects and soundscape are equally high-end, and even a cut above what we’ve seen in most theatrical productions of recent memory. A few of the niftiest effects still have us scratching our heads, trying to figure out just how on earth they did them. The story itself is intriguing, offering real surprises along the way and ultimately an ending at least two of us never saw coming. Ah, the cold dagger of betrayal. Dolores warned us.
Creators Benjamin Berk, Jonathan Berk, and Adam Moody have clearly set the high bar here for what an escape room can achieve. In Hope End they’ve taken the familiar find-the-clues-to-get-out format and infused it with full storyline immersivity and interactivity, effectively creating a powerful piece of theatre in the process. Participating guests see and join in the emerging artform at its finest level here.
Immersive Scene Los Angeles eagerly awaits the Ministry’s next show, which is being developed now and will run concurrently with Hope End sometime in the future. So, in closing, an unassuming strip mall in Azusa, the unlikely home of this creative winner, is now on our GPS’s short list, and it should be on yours too.
310 N. Citrus Ave.
Suite I
Azusa, CA 91702
Wednesday-Sunday by appt. 10:00 AM-9:30 PM
$67.00-75.00 (less with groups above 4)
Afternote: The Ministry of Peculiarities doesn’t even settle for a standard waiting room setting before the Hope End adventure begins. When you arrive, enjoy the tricked-out holding room where there are numerous curiosities to keep you entertained before your investigation commences. Even the bathrooms are a sight to behold.
Cast note: Hope End employs a rotating ensemble of seven actors for live performances. As a result, the cast you'll have your ghostly encounter with may differ from the one we saw. Given the high-level production here, we’re sure you’ll find top-tier thespians whoever they are.
