Review - Stranger Things by Secret Cinema
When we heard that Secret Cinema would be producing an experience based around the hit SciFi/Horror show Stranger Things, we couldn’t resist the urge to book tickets straight away! With years of experience in creating immersive theatrical worlds, we were curious as to how they’d adapt this particular show. With expectations set high, would our trip to Hawkins be as spectacular as we hoped?
Our experience began upon receiving an invite to the 1985 Hawkins High Reunion. After creating a character to roleplay during the event, we were ready to take our trip into the upside down. Upon arrival at the event we were greeted with the iconic view of the Star Court Mall from season 3. Before entering we had to lock all our phones away to ensure the secrecy of the event remained intact. Once we entered through the doors of the mall we were transported into the world of Stanger Things.
Immediately, we were impressed with how much thought had gone into crafting this experience. Recognisable locations and characters from the show had been recreated to perfection. There were multiple times that we caught ourselves stopping to double take on some of the roaming actors, who looked identical to their respective show counterparts. What impressed us even more was the sheer interactivity on display. We found ourselves indulging in multiple little scenarios, from participating in a science experiment at the state fair to watching Mike and the gang play a round of Dungeons and Dragons with random passers-by. Of course, we also couldn’t resist sampling some of the delights at Scoops Ahoy!
Whilst there were plenty of experiences to find from just roaming around the three main settings, there was also a main narrative thread for us to follow. We won’t spoil too much, but we were set a mystery to solve that involved us sleuthing around multiple locations, searching for details relating to a missing child. This element was rather unexpected and proved to be very hands on. While there was nothing too taxing about this segment of the experience, it certainly helped bring about an ominous sense of threat to the evening.
Just before the climax of the narrative, we ended up side-tracked by one of the shows main antagonists, who lead us into an exclusive scene that only a selection of people witnessed. While this may prove frustrating to those who missed out, we enjoyed the secretive nature of this section, which only served to amplify our connection to the finale. Our advice for prospective visitors would be to fully immerse yourself in the experience and to make sure you interact with as many characters as you possibly can. That is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any side stories that are played out over the course of the event.
Conveniently for us, even after solving the main mystery and experiencing the dramatic side story, we still had time to soak in the atmosphere - we actually enjoyed taking a breather and just appreciating the finer details of the event. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that you’d taken a time machine back into 1980’s America. Retro vibes permeated the entire event, from vintage arcade machines to dodgy mullets and fully functioning aerobics classes. Yes we even sweated it out to a particularly exerting Duran Duran routine!
Before long it was time for us to enter the screening, but not before a suitably dramatic finale played out setting the scene for what we were about to experience perfectly. Experience being the appropriate word here. What followed wasn’t so much a screening as an all-out artistic interpretation of the series.
Revealing too much about the screening element of the evening would totally go against the principles of Secret Cinema. What we can say was that it didn’t disappoint and even surpassed our expectations. Using a variety of techniques including screens, live actors, special effects and projections, amongst other things, we were shown highlights from all three seasons. There were entire sections where we were blown away due to the spectacular way they were presented. The production was a homage to everything great about the show and yes… the Demogorgon made a suitably terrifying appearance.
The entire evening was phenomenal, surpassing our expectations. It wasn’t just a simple screening, but rather an immersive theatre production where you played a pivotal role in the proceedings. We lived out our own 80’s fantasy, becoming embroiled in an underground threat to the town of Hawkins and loved every second of it. Once we stepped back out into the streets of London we were left speechless as to what we had just experienced. Secret Cinema have truly created a masterpiece here. Anyone who even remotely has a passing interest in Stranger Things should check this event out.
Our experience began upon receiving an invite to the 1985 Hawkins High Reunion. After creating a character to roleplay during the event, we were ready to take our trip into the upside down. Upon arrival at the event we were greeted with the iconic view of the Star Court Mall from season 3. Before entering we had to lock all our phones away to ensure the secrecy of the event remained intact. Once we entered through the doors of the mall we were transported into the world of Stanger Things.
Immediately, we were impressed with how much thought had gone into crafting this experience. Recognisable locations and characters from the show had been recreated to perfection. There were multiple times that we caught ourselves stopping to double take on some of the roaming actors, who looked identical to their respective show counterparts. What impressed us even more was the sheer interactivity on display. We found ourselves indulging in multiple little scenarios, from participating in a science experiment at the state fair to watching Mike and the gang play a round of Dungeons and Dragons with random passers-by. Of course, we also couldn’t resist sampling some of the delights at Scoops Ahoy!
Whilst there were plenty of experiences to find from just roaming around the three main settings, there was also a main narrative thread for us to follow. We won’t spoil too much, but we were set a mystery to solve that involved us sleuthing around multiple locations, searching for details relating to a missing child. This element was rather unexpected and proved to be very hands on. While there was nothing too taxing about this segment of the experience, it certainly helped bring about an ominous sense of threat to the evening.
Just before the climax of the narrative, we ended up side-tracked by one of the shows main antagonists, who lead us into an exclusive scene that only a selection of people witnessed. While this may prove frustrating to those who missed out, we enjoyed the secretive nature of this section, which only served to amplify our connection to the finale. Our advice for prospective visitors would be to fully immerse yourself in the experience and to make sure you interact with as many characters as you possibly can. That is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any side stories that are played out over the course of the event.
Conveniently for us, even after solving the main mystery and experiencing the dramatic side story, we still had time to soak in the atmosphere - we actually enjoyed taking a breather and just appreciating the finer details of the event. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that you’d taken a time machine back into 1980’s America. Retro vibes permeated the entire event, from vintage arcade machines to dodgy mullets and fully functioning aerobics classes. Yes we even sweated it out to a particularly exerting Duran Duran routine!
Before long it was time for us to enter the screening, but not before a suitably dramatic finale played out setting the scene for what we were about to experience perfectly. Experience being the appropriate word here. What followed wasn’t so much a screening as an all-out artistic interpretation of the series.
Revealing too much about the screening element of the evening would totally go against the principles of Secret Cinema. What we can say was that it didn’t disappoint and even surpassed our expectations. Using a variety of techniques including screens, live actors, special effects and projections, amongst other things, we were shown highlights from all three seasons. There were entire sections where we were blown away due to the spectacular way they were presented. The production was a homage to everything great about the show and yes… the Demogorgon made a suitably terrifying appearance.
The entire evening was phenomenal, surpassing our expectations. It wasn’t just a simple screening, but rather an immersive theatre production where you played a pivotal role in the proceedings. We lived out our own 80’s fantasy, becoming embroiled in an underground threat to the town of Hawkins and loved every second of it. Once we stepped back out into the streets of London we were left speechless as to what we had just experienced. Secret Cinema have truly created a masterpiece here. Anyone who even remotely has a passing interest in Stranger Things should check this event out.
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Is Tim even old enough to remember the 80s?
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