Secret Cinema - Casino Royale with no cheese in sight

We get out of the region this month to check out the most famous of themed nights in the UK - the Secret Cinema. With Bond 25 (No Time To Die) soon to be wrapped, the amazingly received Secret Cinema nights - where an audience immerse themselves in a theatrical recreation of a famous film - have moved from Star Wars to Moulin Rouge but now tackle the world famous British Spy.

So our Leicester guest contributor Oli Page headed down to London to experience their latest event. Was he shaken or stirred? Read on to find out...

“Blackthorn… Jackson Blackthorn” I excitedly mumble under my breath. Tickets booked, aliases assumed. I was going to a Secret Cinema event for the first time ever. As an avid lover of film and working with the events industry, this seemed like a match made in heaven and a long time coming.

The opportunity to take part in the Casino Royale experience was one that I was very keen on as I loved the film. Being given my character/alias well in advance helped keep the anticipation strong considering the tickets were purchased months prior. Every so often an email prompts you with a video package, your mission, your backstory and more cynically where to buy officially licensed products.

Upon arrival in the outer London location, I’m led from the meeting point to an industrial site (a common feature for most Secret Cinema events). However, the red carpet that adorns the path to the re-imagined Casino Royale provides a welcome juxtaposition to the rough surrounding.

Listening on avidly to my assigned informant, I’m told of the investigation afoot. Guests are greeted warmly by the host who runs through the rules and engages with the crowd. Suddenly a loud gunshot echoes throughout the atrium and shock, chaos and disruption rules.The sound of a sudden bang in a populated public space might be considered too big a risk in this day and age, however it added to the immersive and atmospheric occasion.

I won’t go into further detail on the content or storyline, but this brings me to my biggest takeaway from the event. You will undoubtedly get the most out of the experience by leaning into the participatory elements; embrace your alias, inhabit your character whilst talking to the actors and immerse yourself in the stunning surroundings. If you give a little, you will gain so much.

The story runs throughout the night with hints and tips presented to you as regular intervals before a sensory explosion of activity. The last set piece finds all guests brought into a recreation of the iconic poker game between Bond and Le Chiffre before a finale sees lights flashing, music swelling and the explosive drama of live theatre.

It is an immense credit to the producers of Secret Cinema how seamlessly they bring about the end of the theatrics into the screening of the film itself. The added bonus to all the excitement is that the live theatre and action doesn’t stop. It continues throughout the film with the actors recreating famous scenes, luxurious Aston Martins gliding through the auditorium and towering flames engulfing the audience’s vision whenever a major explosion occurs.

This is more than a film screening, it is enhanced cinema. It is for fans of course, but knowing the film is really your minimum requirement for enjoyment. Secret Cinema have once again provided a truly superb experience for film lovers and those who attended, like me, will eagerly be awaiting their next offering.

Oli Page

Oli Page is a freelance film programmer and curator from Leicester. He has programmed screenings at Phoenix, New Walk Museum, Leicester Cathedral and various neighbourhood and community centres. He completed an undergraduate degree in Film Studies followed by a postgraduate degree in Cultural Events Management.