Grease is the word this summer at Evolution London in Battersea Park. Three years after Secret Cinema was last in London, it’s making a grand return with a brand-new production, Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical. Aided by a West End and Broadway-calibre creative team, the show blurs the line between screen and reality in a dynamic new way.
“This is our most central location ever, and the venue is amazing – we’re thrilled to be here for our next three productions,” says Merritt Baer, Secret Cinema producer and TodayTix Group President and Co-founder. “Battersea Park at the peak of summer felt like exactly the right time and place to bring the joy of Grease to immersive audiences like never before.”
The show marks a significant next chapter in Secret Cinema’s journey. For the first time, the movie will be played in full on multiple giant screens while, simultaneously, the 1950s world of Grease is brought to life all around the audience in a spectacular two-and-a-half production. All of the numbers are performed live by the 30-strong cast and band. “It’s a twist on the Secret Cinema magic of yesteryear,” explains Baer. “You’re stepping into a movie and also becoming part of huge musical.”
Matt Costain, the Olivier Award-winning director of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, is a lifelong fan. “I was in primary school when the film came out. All of us boys crowded into the bathroom and tried styling our hair like the T-Birds, using just water and hope.”
For this production, Costain thought about what he’d love to do if he could enter the story. “I’d want to go to Rydell High and bump into Rizzo and the Pink Ladies, see the Greased Lightnin’ car at the Autoshop, and sit on the bleachers and be in the midst of ‘Summer Nights’.”
Costain describes those familiar moments and locations as “stepping stones in the show” that audiences can easily return to; there’s also a clear arc, from first day of term to graduation. “But you can insert a ‘choose your own adventure’ too: break off from the main action and go grab a milkshake and a burger.”
That freedom and flexibility is key, Costain notes, because Secret Cinema audiences enjoy different levels of involvement. “Some love full immersion, so they’ve done their homework, they want to meet every character. Some are fans of that particular title, so they want to see the authentic costumes. For others, it’s a fantastic summer event, so they might want to watch their favourite scene, and then take a moment to catch up with their friends in the sunshine.”
Aiding those choices, there are three new ticket types for Grease. As well as general admission, VIP seated tickets mean you can “roam and return”, explains Baer. “You’ll have a dedicated table and seats, so you can check out what else is going on and your table is there waiting for you.” The third ticket type is VIP immersive. Those audience members can come early to receive dance lessons, and there are moments in the show where they can join the cast – almost like a flashmob. “It’s a first for Secret Cinema,” says Baer.
The carnival is opened to the public before the show begins, so audiences can begin sampling its games and rides – which include a massive ferris wheel. The majority of the performance then takes place indoors, finishing with “You’re the One That I Want” back out in the fairground.
It’s a unique challenge for set designer Tom Rogers, whose West End work includes musicals 9 to 5 and Pretty Woman. “It’s been so interesting to find ways to give people the feel of being inside the movie,” he explains. “You’ll look up at the screen and then look around the space and suddenly have this 360 experience of it.”
Re-creating familiar Grease designs was a delight, he says. “I’ve always loved Frosty’s Palace diner, with the snowman and ice cream sundaes on the roof.” But he was also keen to give people a fresh perspective. “We’re able to show you things that aren’t in the film: locations that are only mentioned, like Frenchie’s beauty school. It’s like you walk off the edge of the movie screen and the world keeps going.”
Costain agrees, noting: “You only ever see half of ‘Summer Nights’ because it cuts between the guys and the girls. The fun challenge for us was filling in the gaps.”
It was also fascinating, says Costain, to draw out the story’s resonant themes. “It’s really about young people figuring out how to talk to one another and who they want to be. Sandy has the memorable transformation, but Danny transforms too: he stops trying to impress his friends and goes after the girl he loves.”
Choreographer Jennifer Weber, a Tony Award nominee for musicals & Juliet and KPOP, is bringing another new ingredient. “Because I come from a hip-hop background, I’m really interested in the idea of ‘sampling’ dance moves – the way DJs sample beats,” she explains.
Her choreography samples all the iconic Grease dance moments, like the arm points in “Greased Lightnin’”, but with cool, contemporary flair. “They’re the best moves to sample because the whole world knows them,” she says. “It means the numbers feel equally of the past and the present.” That balanced approach is matched by the casting, says Costain, which “reflects London in terms of diversity.”
Weber loves that the audience can both be part of the storytelling and also “blown away by the skills of the professionals. These numbers explode out of the screen and literally take over the whole space.”
There are plenty of opportunities to join in the dancing, such as the National Bandstand hand-jive competition. “Just like the characters, you dance until you feel that tap on the shoulder,” says Costain. Audience members might even find themselves up on a big screen, since live cameras are integral to the televised contest.
Equally, says Weber, you can just watch and enjoy the energy, escapism and power. “It’s a party. It’ll give you the ultimate summer high.”
Either way, observes Rogers, “people will feel like they haven’t just watched Grease – they’ve lived it.” Baer sums up: “If audiences come away thinking ‘That was the best night of my entire year’, we’ve done our job.” This is the one that you want.
Tickets can be purchased at www.greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com
SYNDICATED INTERVIEW BY MARIANKA SWAIN
