Ross Kemp helps launch immersive Mary Rose dive experience

Former EastEnders star Ross Kemp has spoken of his respect for the restoration team behind Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose as he features in a new interactive experience showcasing the Tudor warship.

The new Dive The Mary Rose 4D cinema being launched at The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire, features footage including the actor best known for playing Grant Mitchell in the soap opera as well as King Charles who dived as part of the excavation effort 40 years ago.

The experience mixes film with sounds and smells to provide an immersive experience to give visitors a feel for being part of the dive team on the site of the wreck which was raised in October 1982 after remaining on the seabed for 437 years.

A museum spokeswoman said: “The immersive once-in-a-lifetime adventure will help visitors relive the untold story of the world’s most famous shipwreck, from the finding, excavating and raising 40 years ago.

“Experience the smells, sounds and newly created footage to simulate the diving experience in never-before-used technology showcasing the world’s largest ever maritime excavation and raising.

“All the narrators involved in the film, including Ross Kemp, have dived on the wreck site. Many of them helped recover 19,000 unique Tudor artefacts to add to the already impressive collection housed at The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.”

Kemp said: “I was delighted to be able to dive on the wreck site of the Mary Rose as part of my upcoming documentary series for Sky History.

“But nothing could have prepared me for what it was like to be able to help unearth history at the same time.

“Being part of Dive The Mary Rose 4D has given me a whole new level of respect for what was an incredible feat from a team of over 500 divers, engineers and maritime experts. What they achieved with the raising of the Mary Rose was nothing short of remarkable.”

Dominic Jones, chief executive of The Mary Rose Museum, said: “Dive The Mary Rose 4D allows visitors to experience the final untold chapter of King Henry VIII’s most-loved warship from the finding, excavation and its painstaking raising.

“This spectacular immersive adventure is another exciting addition for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in time for the Easter school holidays.

“It also compliments the 1545 experience narrated by Dame Judi Dench, which allows visitors to see and feel for themselves what it was like to be on the ship as it sank on that fateful day all those years ago.”