This summer delve into a world of excitement and espionage with Secret Cinema who are showing Casino Royal this summer in London.
The name’s Billingsley – Jenelle Billingsley. Or at least that’s what I’m going with as I make my way to a location that must remain undisclosed. My mission? That’d be telling. But what I can say is that this is all under the instruction of Secret Cinema who have taken on Casino Royale for the latest episode in their series of immersive film extravaganzas.
It’s templated like previous events, throwing its audiences into a world where the lines between fiction and reality are blurred. So in this case, it’s the glamorous and action-filled world of James Bond.
Ahead of the evening, my friend and I are recruited as part of Operation Wildcard, given a thorough MI6 briefing and assigned to M Branch. We’re advised to develop our characters. Where did they make their millions? How might they fare in a night of high stakes and sophistication? Having returned from Glastonbury only the day before, the two of us are hugely unprepared. Certainly those who put more into it, get more out but we have fun making like Bond, running around brilliant sets, tracking down various characters and drinking martinis.
Once you’ve had your fill of exploring, eating, and drinking, it’s time to actually watch the film. Actors reenact some of the film’s biggest moments alongside and the audience is more engaged than that of your typical cinema screening. For me the best part of the whole experience is being part of a packed audience, enjoying a film that they’ve maybe seen 100 times already, or perhaps had no interest in watching before. That’s why people book their tickets again and again for Secret Cinema, there is a ton of unbridled, unexpected fun to be had in an evening.
Secret Cinema presents Casino Royale is the largest show that Secret Cinema has ever produced and is on now until October 6. Tickets are available to buy from secretcinema.org
Image credit: © Secret Cinema – Luke Dyson
Check out our post on theatre shows in London this August here!
