BEASTS OF LONDON at the Museum of London

Joe Pasquale as a mouse, Kate Moss as a fox, Pam Ferris as an eagle, Nish Kumar as a horse and Brian Blessed as a bacterium are some of the celebs in Beasts of London, a new exhibition at the Museum of London looking at the capital’s natural history from prehistory to the present.

This state-of-the-art immersive digital experience, created with the nearby Guildhall School of Music & Drama, brings families face to face with all the creatures great and small that have helped shape the city we know today.

Nine separate episodes cover thousands of years from the pre-human era to the Roman occupation, medieval zoos, the disastrous 17th century plague, the growth of circuses, our unending fascination with horses and our relationship with the city’s animals now.

Museum experts joined forces with award-winning director, designer and audio visual specialist Dan Shorten from Guildhall School to create the exhibition’s fantastic special effects.

Senior curator Francis Marshall said: “It’s a journey that is surprising, creative, visually striking and emotionally affecting. It encourages visitors to look at the animals of London in a new way and to consider our city from a different perspective.”

And Dan Shorten said: “We can’t wait to share this immersive and spectacular world with the museum’s visitors.”

The exhibition runs till 5 January. Further info at www.museumoflondon.org.uk/beastsoflondon