(Don’t worry, no spoilers ahead. We wouldn’t play you like that.)
Some theater nerds among us may already know of the Secret Theatre Project, the UK-based stage production company that traverses the globe with immersive performances (like a haunted mansion, or Se7en Deadly Sins). The content of the show is kept under wraps, so audiences don’t know exactly what they’re in for until the curtain rises (figuratively speaking). If you thought that sounds captivating — yeah, so did we.
The project was founded by Richard Crawford, a British stage director who has adapted cult films like Edward Scissorhands and Reservoir Dogs into theater productions worldwide. When we heard that Crawford and co. were bringing the Secret Theatre Project for its debut in Singapore this month, we were intrigued. More than that, we were psyched. After all, we were told to “expect the unexpected”. All the keywords from the press buzz got to us (Dangerous! Thrilling! Sexy! Edgy!), and indeed, our FOMO tendencies within shuddered with delight.
Of course, there was always the possibility we’d be disappointed — and it wouldn’t be the first time something so hyped up didn’t live up to its promise — but, the hope within us stays alive. That, and the anticipation. We’ll admit it: If there’s one thing we can’t stand, it’s being an outsider to a juicy secret.
On May 3, the official opening day, we received secret instructions from a Queen, who warned us we’d better “dress to impress”. So we got into our best threads and headed to the secret destination: A dimly-lit space with a very well stocked bar. Without giving too much detail: It was glamorous. It was sexy. It was…. just as they said it would be. At least that was our first impression.
After a spot of mingling, things got going. And if you’re a fan of a particular ’90s cult film, you may be able to guess the genre-hopping adaptation the production is based on right away. Otherwise, it’s best to go with the flow — it’s a wild rollercoaster ride with unpredictable twists that will slay you from left and right. Caught unaware with each new plot development, we found ourselves flitting between bewilderment and uncertainty. But mostly, we weren’t too sure where they were leading us, and at one point the vibe changed so abruptly it was slightly disconcerting.
Despite the lack of an elaborate set, the actors played around with the space in the best way they could, keeping audience interactions frequent to hold our attention. Not once did they break character, even when the audience was less than responsive (which did happen a few times).
Standing by the sidelines to observe the mayhem or quietly gunning for a particular person is fine and dandy, but if you really want to make the most of the night — we say keep an open mind, and try getting involved when actors come by to solicit audience interaction. That’s ultimately what makes such a heart-pounding, immersive work all the more fun. One of our companions delved into it with the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old at an open bar, which added to the energy (and got more than a few chuckles from the crowd).
The frenzied action seemed to have two main effects on the crowd — towards the end, we noticed people either becoming completely invested in the outcome, or looking at their watches and wondering out loud whether restaurants in the area would still be open by the time we were done. Things did get a tad bit draggy though, and we couldn’t help but let out a (subtle) sigh of relief when the end came. Perhaps our expectations were too high, after all.
Speaking of an open bar, the whole shebang would go down a lot better with a boost of inebriation — but be warned, the drinks at the venue are on the pricey end of the spectrum. This is not a BYOB kind of place, so pre-gamers might want to knock back their booze before arriving. Otherwise, be prepared to splash out on $25 cocktails or $19 glasses of wine.
Real quick, some things to take note of before you sign up: Leave the sky-high heels at home unless you fancy tottering around in discomfort. Ditch the bulky backpack, because you’ll want to get all hands-on with things. Lastly, if you’re the type to get hangry, have a bite before the performance — you won’t have time to grub once the adventure starts.
Tickets are $150 each, and performances run from now until June 10. The show schedule and tickets are available here.
Samurai_Samus says
This show was pretty disappointing, especially considering the ludicrous price. Having attended other immersive theater events including Secret Cinema in London and Sleep No More in NYC I found this event to be extremely lacking in presentation.
The space is quite small, consisting of just two tightly packed rooms between which guests are constantly being shuffled back and forth like a herd of sheep. There are some very light opportunities for interaction with the actors upon arrival before the real “show” starts, but after that it was mostly a bore. I also noticed many people staring at their watches during the second half of the performance, seemingly waiting for the whole thing to end. Similarly, some guests were ignoring the show completely, having private conversations in the back of the room while the actors were performing to an otherwise quiet room. There is no sense of exploration as with the other immersive theater experiences I mentioned and the climax of the show was underwhelming, if not flat out corny and cheaply staged.
I get that they are trying to bring a more intimate experience to this type of event (vs. Secret Cinema which has hundreds of attendees for each show in a massive space), but it just doesn’t land with any real excitement and instead comes across more as a way to lure people into an overpriced bar. The actors did the best they could with the material, yet I couldn’t help but feel almost completely feel removed from the experience. I hope they can rethink the approach for future years and do something worthwhile with the money (seriously, what is the money being spent on besides a few cheap props and some makeup??). I’m not familiar with the shows they’ve done in Hong Kong and elsewhere so perhaps they fare a bit better, but for my money Secret Cinema has pretty much mastered the immersive film event.