Review: GREASE: THE IMMERSIVE MOVIE MUSICAL

Matt Crockett

There are few films more suited to an immersive theatrical experience than Grease, with its instantly recognisable characters, songs and locations. Secret Cinema’s Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical attempts to take audiences inside the world of Rydell High, combining the original film with live performers, music and an environment designed to make you feel as though you have stepped into 1950s America.

The immersive element begins long before the movie and it is immediately evident in the pre-show that this is gping to be a fun evening. The fairground outside, with all of the associated rides and food, is just the beginning. The staff are all in costume and the experience really helps to get you into the feel of the evening. It is a strong start and sets the bar incredibly high for the evening ahead.

Inside the venue, the set design is another impressive part of the production. The way the space is split up into multiple areas such as the drive in or frosty's palace is genius even if parts of the seating would feel along way removed from the action. It gives the audience a whole new level of immersion as they walk around the main performance space, taking in all of the amazing detail that has been clearly put a lot of effort into. It is evident that Secret Cinema really made the most of the space they were given for this production.

When it comes to the actual show, it becomes harder to engage with the immersion that was so cleverly set up beforehand. It is not always obvious where the performers are and when it comes to the spotlights being used to highlight the live action, they are not always bright enough either to stand out against the general venue lights. Sometimes the live action gets lost in the overall immersion especially where audience interaction is a big part of this show. There are clear moments when members of the audience are invited up onto the central stage to join in with the fun and while it is an amazing spectacle and certainly helps to facilitate the immersive element of the production, it does come at the expense of being able to see what is going on in the show itself.

Sound is also a major issue that impacts the evening. There were clear moments when the audio coming from the movie itself was not synchronised with the picture, which can be incredibly distracting when trying to watch the film. Also, with so many members of the audience being encouraged to chat and interact, the audio of the movie was lost to the general din. This means that many audience members will inevitably miss parts of the story action simply because it was drowned out by the ambient noise and if they didnt know the storyline well, it would be difficult to follow.

The performances put on by the cast of this production is certainly a highlight of the evening, and it is impossible not to be swept away by the incredible musicianship on display. It would have been good to see more scenes performed live rather than such a heavy reliance placed on the movie. There are moments when the entire company leaves the hall. While this allows the film to take centre stage, it also breaks the feeling of immersion that the rest of the experience has worked so hard to establish. Rather than feeling like you are inside the movie, you suddenly find yourself back in a cinema watching it.

That is perhaps the biggest frustration with the production. There is so much potential here, and many of the ingredients for a fantastic immersive experience are already in place. The environment, sets, costumes, music and enthusiastic staff create a brilliant world for Grease, but the live performance doesn't always make enough use of it. More consistent interaction between the cast and audience could have turned an enjoyable evening into something genuinely memorable.

Overall, Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical presents an evening of great entertainment, but one that leaves you feeling as if you have seen most of the movie in a fun setting, rather than being immersed in it and also seeing a show. The pre-show and set design are both incredibly impressive, while the cast members provide some truly outstanding musical numbers, but it all fails to gel together. With a few tweaks to the staging of the production, Secret Cinema could be on the cusp of something absolutely incredible

*** Three Stars

Reviewed by Frances Tate

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