1,517 died during the sinking of the Titanic

THE ill-fated voyage of the Titanic has been the source of a global obsession since the moment the liner sank in Atlantic Ocean.

Now 113 years later, visitors to Camden Town will be given the chance to walk in the footsteps of one of the passengers who died in the disaster.

Details of a new immersive reality experience based on the tragic sinking ­– 1,517 people died – have been revealed in planning documents published on the council’s website.

Titanic VR: Echoes From The Past is due to open in a basement site in Camden High Street and aims to give participants the chance to explore the wreck.

They will be guided through key events by the character of William H. Harbeck, a filmmaker who died on the Titanic, but shown here searching for mysteriously lost film reels never found in the wreck. It has long been thought that footage that he took on the ship was lost to the sea.

Eclipso’s vision for its new Camden High Street attraction – as sent to Camden’s planning department

Eclipso Immersive Entertainment, which already has a site in Stratford, is behind the application submitted to Camden’s planning department.

It said that much of the work would be completed within the basement but that externally “the visible work is limited to gentrifying a disgusting doorway that attracts crime and grime”.

It added: “The existing doorway storefront is a magnet for criminal activity, with evidence of drugs, graffiti and public urination occurring frequently within these doorways. The proposed works will stop negative activity, replacing it with an innovative and bright alternative.

“Camden High Street has undergone significant changes in recent years, having international brands and cultural trends all concentrating in this lively and vibrant commercial district.”

Simon Pitkeathley, head of the business interest group Camden Town Unlimited said: “Generally, I’m a supporter of experimentation on the high street. I think high streets all over the country need to evolve and change because our habits are changing.”

He added: “So new ideas and things that make different use of space should be wel­comed because even if they don’t necessarily work they can help us better understand what might work.”

It is not the first operation to jump on London’s new love for live experiences, although Tomb Raider Live in Camden Market proved short-lived, closing in 2022.

Meanwhile, there are plans by the Secret Group Limited, the group behind a production called Secret Cinema, to transform the Mecca bingo hall on Arlington Road into an immersive cinema experience, just round the corner from the new Titanic VR experi­ence on the high street.