We left the house just before six this evening and made our way over to Battersea Park for Secret Cinema’s latest immersive extravaganza, which this year is themed around Grease; you know, the one with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John that might have a different take on the story if it were made today.
I had been expecting something that looked like the set of an American high school – Rydell High banners, bleachers and a lot of quiffs – and that’s pretty much what we walked into.
The weather app promised warmth, although by the time I reached Chelsea Bridge, the sky remained cloudy. Still, it’s partly outdoors and I’d opted for a white T-shirt (seemed fitting for the ’50s theme) and a black bomber jacket I own. It’s not quite a leather jacket, but it more or less worked. I don’t own jeans, so that was the one part of the outfit I compromised on. As I went through the Chelsea Bridge gate at Battersea Park, it was apparent that the unofficial dress code for men was white T-shirts and for women anything pink. So, I fitted in OK. Plenty of people had made a full-on effort, but I didn’t feel out of place in my ‘try to make it work from my existing wardrobe’ look.
Entry was smooth and straight away we found ourselves in a little fairground set – Ferris wheel, fun house, hook-a-duck, Shake Shack (complete with the wobble machine they actually use in the film). We grabbed a drink and a chicken burger and, unable to find a free seat, stood eating while dancing along to the ’50s soundtrack.
At about 7.30pm, the Rydell High principal appeared on the tannoy and called us all in for the first day of school. They played the opening beach scene from the film on the big screen and, after that, brought us inside. This whole thing is exceptionally well done. Unlike the older Secret Cinema events, you’re not just watching the film – it’s cut up so that parts of it are projected and then the big scenes are suddenly acted out in front of you, complete with live singing. Rydell High itself is a collection of mini sets – soda shop, cafeteria, dance hall, auto shop, bleachers and so on – and you move between them as different moments unfold.
Seats are limited if you’re not VIP, which, at first, feels slightly annoying, but you quickly realise that wandering from scene to scene is much more enjoyable. If you’re sitting in the VIP area at the back of the drive-in, you’d miss quite a lot – although, granted, your feet might be less tired by the end.
We spent most of the evening near the auto shop, which meant we had The T-Birds practically in front of us for Greased Lightning and a bunch of other scenes. Occasionally, a crew member gently nudges you into a slightly different position so a scene can play out nearby; they also encourage you to dance, which most of us did without any hesitation – if you can call my shuffle a dance.
It’s difficult to explain why the switching between film and live action works so well, but it does. I assume the little pauses are as much for cast changes as they are for us to queue up for another drink. The food and drink, incidentally, are not cheap – over £8 for a fairly small alcoholic can – but it didn’t take anything away from the evening.
The finale happens back outside in the fairground, where the closing scenes from the film are played out live and on screen. The cast were brilliant – it must be an exhausting performance, particularly given that some of it is almost lip-synced to the soundtrack. I loved that the cast entirely performed the big songs (there’s a live band as well), rather than just lip-syncing over the film.
We stayed for about half an hour afterwards. The funfair stays open and you can still get a beer or a glass of wine. It’s the first Secret Cinema event I’ve been to where I could imagine it being turned into something more permanent – a bit like the ABBA Voyage experience. They’re not doing that here, but the location feels good enough and the music lends itself to a proper party atmosphere. Everyone happily sang along to the big numbers.
A brilliant night out – definitely one of my favourite Secret Cinema experiences.
