Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Battersea Evolution, London
Cast: Stephanie Costi, Liam Morris, Liam Buckland, Lucy Penrose, Andilé Mabhena, Darragh Rochford, Myles Thomas, Toni Paise, Brooke Ramsay, Gerardine Sacdalan, Imogen Kingsley-Smith, Jacob Stebbings, Colleen Daley, Julie Cloke, Rhys Owen, David Fearn and Waylon Jacobs
An immersive theatrical experience that invites you into the world of Rydell High - where cinema, stage and celebration become one. From the moment you arrive, you'll find yourself immersed in the halls of Rydell High alongside Danny and Sandy as every corner of the set comes alive. With live music, a summer fairground and classic American diner-inspired delights, every unforgettable moment and song from Grease unfolds before your eyes.
Back in 2023, Secret Cinema brought Grease the Musical to life in Birmingham, and now the immersive experience returns to Battersea Evolution, bigger and better than ever. With one of the boldest and largest attempts at immersive theatre I've ever witnessed, Battersea Evolution has been completely transformed into Rydell High for six weeks only this summer.
As soon as you're welcomed at the entrance of Rydell High, you're completely transported to a 1950's American high school and fairground. This isn't just because of the sensational set design from Tom Rogers, but also due to the sheer volume of cast members walking around welcoming you on your first day back at school after the summer. As well as the fairground, and multiple food and drink vendors outside, inside you'll find iconic sets brought to life which are utilised throughout the evening such as the mechanics, the bleachers and the drive-in.
The production promises to be an immersive experience and the immersion this time around from Secret Cinema is like no other. In particular, the fairground rides and attractions outside are incredible; but I only wish there was more going on outside when the action is happening inside as it's very overwhelming, crowded and warm in the main hall where the recreation of iconic scenes take place and there isn't much time between songs for breaks.
It's worth mentioning, if you have access needs, I would highly recommend booking VIP where you have designated seating because for general admission, the seating is extremely limited and there's a lot of standing around that's required to enjoy the scenes if you don't have a seat.
One thing's for certain, the cast can not be faulted. Rizzo (Lucy Penrose) and Danny (Liam Morris) are the standouts of the live performances, perfectly encapsulating Danny's preppy but awkward behaviour and mannerisms, and the illusion of Rizzo's spiky exterior which is shattered during her heart-wrenching rendition of 'There Are Worse Things I Could Do'.
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'Greased Lightning' was a highlight of the action inside but when the crowd are ushered outside for 'You're the One That I Want' and 'We Go Together', this is where the true magic of the immersion came from. To see Sandy and Danny dancing on the shake shack, to the entire cast performing 'We Go Together' in a real fairground, it was easy to imagine yourself as part of the film itself.
In saying this, at times it can feel chaotic, messy, and sometimes the screens projecting the film were out of sync which proved quite distracting. It can be hard to know where to look as although the entirety of the space is utilised well, if a scene isn't happening near the centre stage and you're on the other side of the room, the sound quality isn't the best and the space is so large that at times you can feel as though you're missing out. However, the issues it does have I found easy to overlook because the production is everything it should be: cheesy, nostalgic and fun.
The prices for the rides and attractions vary, but you can purchase 10 tokens for £10 which was more reasonable than I was expecting, and you expect to find classic fairground attractions such as a ferris wheel (5 tokens), hook-a-duck (2 tokens), funhouse (3 tokens) and the swings (4 tokens). The food options are typical foods you'd find at a carnival such as pizza, hotdogs, nachos, shakes and fries. All pizzas were offered on a gluten free base which I was very impressed with as a gluten intolerant.
If you're a fan of Grease, you'll undoubtedly love what Secret Cinema have managed to achieve with Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical. It's no small feat, and while it does have a few teething issues, it's nothing short of spectacular and makes for the perfect evening out with your fellow T-Birds or Pink Ladies. The energy is infectious, the cast are sensational, the recreated locations are astounding and the atmosphere? It's electrifying.
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You can book tickets to Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, here.
**photo credit: Danny With a Camera and Matt Crockett**
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