Secret Cinema

I awarded this company a single star due to their dynamic pricing policy. Earlier in the year, I bought tickets as a birthday present at £69 each, opting for the standard tickets since it was my first time attending a Secret Cinema event (though I still don't understand what makes it secret). To my surprise, when I checked the website yesterday before attending, the ticket prices had dropped to £49! Upon reaching out to Secret Cinema, they responded citing dynamic pricing and refused to issue a refund. This first experience, unfortunately, left a sour impression on me. Additionally, the drinks and food were quite pricey. On a positive note, the event itself was impressively executed.

Firstly, I had a great experience with their customer support team. At first they were hard to reach but actually when using their chatbot on the website you eventually can send an email to their support team and they replied within a couple of days which was fantastic. I had an incredible experience with Alex, who not just helped me with my enquire but also exceeded my expectations and helped me with vouchers and booking me last minute onto one of the last shows which was so very kind of him. I really appreciated that. In regards to the show, I went to secret cinema the stranger things experience a few years ago and that was absolutely incredible! I wish I went 3 more times after. The set up, the characters, the interactive scenes, it was honestly mind blowing and by far the best one for me. We recently went to the Grease show which I thought was super cute! It was a little less interactive than stranger things and the set up was different but we still had a fantastic time, the actors and singers were brilliant, the shows were so smooth and you felt like you were right there, in the middle of the movie! I thought it was fantastic. I agree it was a bit cheeky having to buy extra tickets in order to go on ride (everyone could have at least one ride/activity free I feel) but equally understand this is important for them to make profit. Overall I definitely recommend Secret Cinema to anyone! It is such a unique experience and each movie/tv show they will do will be so different and exciting! I will definitely be back!

I went to the Grease Secret Cinema last night. As others have suggested, it was very underwhelming compared to previous Secret Cinema events, which were ran by a different team. In conclusion, I do not plan on attending another event again under this new management. Experience: Fairground rides costed extra, despite the high ticket price. If you didn’t pay for them, there was nothing to do for the hour and a half between doors opening at 6pm and the show starting at 7:30pm. Performance: The main actors were often singing out of tune. Sound: The audio from the film was difficult to hear. Clarity & Flow: It was often confusing where to look. The film would play, then abruptly stop, and actors would start singing or dancing somewhere in the venue, but it wasn’t clear where. You’d spend time scanning the distance, trying to find them. Adding to the confusion, visitors were allowed to freely wander during the performance, so it was never obvious if you were missing part of the show or if it was just a break. Immersion: I’m not sure why this was labelled as an “immersive experience.” Aside from some themed decor and a few of the audience being pulled up on stage, there was little sense of being part of the world of Grease. Seating: There simply wasn’t enough. Many guests were left either sitting on the hard tarmac outside or standing uncomfortably inside, trying to balance their food and drinks. Food: I ate beforehand, but from what I saw and smelled, the pizzas were burnt, and the burgers looked dry. Overall, the event felt disjointed, poorly organised, and lacking the immersiveness that used to make Secret Cinema special. For the ticket price, it was a real disappointment.

The props (fun fair, school setting was amazing.) Really fun. The actors did a brilliant job when they were brought into the different scenes. However, I felt the overall production was disjointed. The movie wasn't played loud enough inside to hear it clearly. The performers were located at different parts of a huge space which means most of the time you were not really engaged with what was going on as they were too far away to see clearly. It was also confusing whether you should be watching the movie or watching the live performances. It would have been better if the performers were on stage as in a traditional theatre setting so everyone was more connected to the show. You want to be able to clearly see the actors. The movie screens could then hang above the stage with the volume loud enough for all to hear it. The movie should also have been paused when the actors were performing their routines so you didn't miss the movie by watching the live performers. The cost of food was outrageous. Three burgers and drinks were £70. Should have gone to Burger King before the show for similar quality food. There were not enough seats for the standard tickets and the VIP seats also looked too far away from the action. As a party of three we were not able to get seats together in the VIP car section. My son was bored and it didn't help that he couldn't sit down inside. We ended up leaving the hall halfway through as it was far more pleasant in the fairground and we could sit, watch and listen to the movie outside (which was audible there.) Would I attend another 'Secret Cinema'? Probably not.