A huge thanks to Secret Cinema for inviting us down to NEC Birmingham to bring you this honest Secret Cinema presents Grease: The Live Experience review.

Grease is a film that gets into your head and stays forever long on repeat with catchy numbers, beautiful outfits and 50s vibe to keep your foot tapping from start to finish. But, I have a confession.
I’m not the biggest Grease fan and when the invite landed I was anxious to see what the event would be like and how I would perceive it as a guest who’s essentially attending the event of a film he’s not entirely a big fan of.
10 minutes after the event started I was fully immersed and my love for the film grew tenfold as Secret Cinema have put on something immersive, interactive and truly special at Birmingham NEC to keep you entertained immensely throughout these summer nights.
In a world where immersive experiences have taken the entertainment industry by storm, Secret Cinema’s Grease-themed event emerges as a true gem, transporting moviegoers back to the vibrant 1950s and the halls of Rydell High.

The themed entrance complete with the 1948 Ford De Luxe convertible photo op introduced the event and fans were all dressed up in Pink Ladies outfits, T-Birds outfits and more. By the time the gates opened it was hard to tell who were the actors and who were members of the public, the effort the guests had taken to dress up for the event was incredible.
Dressed up to the nines the guests made this space in a Birmingham car park fully immersive. Step beyond the metal guardrail and you’re inside Rydell High. There’s food stalls and merchandise stalls that line the perimetre and a large sports field full of activities. 
The organizers spared no expense in recreating the magic of the beloved musical, leaving no detail untouched. From the vintage cars to the authentic outfits, every aspect of the event was carefully crafted to immerse us in the iconic world of Danny, Sandy, and the Pink Ladies.
Inside Rydell High

Instantly transported to a bygone era the school prom was in full effect, there were also vintage funfair rides and a gymnasium replica where a live band were playing tunes and having dance competitions.
The sports field had guests taking part in football, cheerleader and skipping challenges and the famous T-Birds Auto Shop had been turned into a bar serving Jack Daniels and a performance space for a rendition of Greased Lightnin’.  
Theming is a soft spot for me, if you theme something well I’ll be immersed completely. Not only was the theming spot on but every single actor was sporting this thick American accent and even the bartenders serving you had their own quirky American personalities whilst whisking up a drink or two (or three in our case).
Characters would come up to you and chat away fully immersed in their roles and you’d even walk past characters talking to each other about school related topics. The entire cast was phenomenal across the board but one actress that stood out for me was the girl who played Patty Simcox who was leading the line-up as she carried the show around Rydell High from location to location raising the mood of everyone around her. 
On my mission to find actors who have stepped out of character I ended up at the toilers where there were two characters talking and I was like YES! I’m going to catch them out of character so I listened in…nope! These actors were fully in character talking about someone they’d seen having a smooch around the back of the sports field. I was very impressed! 

Classic rock n roll tunes were playing and the band were fantastic serenading this party atmosphere where everyone was having a boogie. There were also flash mobs and random sing song performances dotted around the area to keep you on your toes.
Actors would have interactions at one part of the school and then carry the show onto other areas. From a sports field interaction, a band came out and the characters said they would be late to the dance and ran off towards Rydell High Gymnasium where the next show would take place.
What I would say is that the shows weren’t spaced out well enough. When one show finished another was going on somewhere else and we just couldn’t time it right to catch everything.
Watching one show in the Gymnasium we missed the Greased Lightnin’ performance which was just finishing when we came outside. The timing was just a little too tight for you to see everything as well as grab a drink and food etc.

Speaking of food and drink the attention to detail extended even to the food and drinks, with an array of retro-themed snacks and beverages available, including hamburgers and milkshakes.
A little pricey at £9 a burger it was pretty damn good and tasted fresh. Beer was priced at £6.50 a pint or £10 for a small cocktail which was very pricey indeed.
Keep in mind that the vendors at these events usually have to share a % of profits to the venue so naturally prices are increased but sadly we have to suffer that little bit of a steep increase for a pint. 
Movie Screening

With so much going on you forget there’s a movie screening at the end of it, you just get carried away in the pageantry of the event.
This massive outdoor screen can be seen from all corners of the event and people had brought blankets to pop down on the artificial grass sports field to enjoy the movie.
Good vibes were going around and people were singing along to the songs and having a little bit of a boogie. Quite the unforgettable experience for Grease fans the world over.
Secret Cinema presents Grease: The Live Experience Conclusion

For someone who isn’t a huge fan of the movie I got my first taste of a Secret Cinema event and I was hooked. It’s crazy how immersed I was in my surroundings and just how into it I was getting. When one character said there was a band playing I was there right behind the actors ready to get to the next show. 
Having the movie on the big screen whilst actors were performing the scene on stage added another dimension to the screening and attention to detail, engaging cast and immersive activities combined for one hell of a show.
With a big dark rain cloud lurking overhead it sadly didn’t rain too much but I did worry that if it did rain the whole event would be ruined. There was only the gymnasium that was under cover to seek shelter but with no screen in there you’d miss the movie.
There was no cover or tents or even themed umbrellas to get your hands on so this is certainly an event suited for dry weather, something we don’t have too much in this country!

Weather aside, if you have ever dreamt of stepping into the world of Danny, Sandy, and the Pink Ladies, this event is an absolute must-attend. It is a celebration of nostalgia, love, and friendship that will leave you singing, dancing, and reminiscing long after the final curtain call.
Secret Cinema have put on Stranger Things, Back to the Future and other events in the past and I do hope they bring other movies to life with these events because now I’ve got a taste for them, I think I’ll be returning over and over again with every new event put on!
Check out more Secret Cinema Events HERE
You can also check out the Secret Cinema presents Grease: The Live Experience VLOG of the event below as for the first time at a Secret Cinema event filming was allowed to special members of the press and we were honoured to be on that list. What I loved even more is that they give you a fictional television station badge to wear which staff members can see and know you’re allowed to film.
Security even told people to stop filming who weren’t wearing the badge. They were hot on it and this little bit of exclusivity was certainly a nice thing to have to get the content you’re reading (and hopefully watching if you click the video below) right this second!