London till 6 October

 

Martin Campbell’s 2006 movie, which introduced Daniel Craig to the world as Ian Fleming’s super spy, gets the Secret Cinema treatment in another glossy, grand night out.

Secret Cinema really is the ultimate extension of a film, taking the audience into the world of the movie, immersing you in it before showing it with live action accompaniment. As the name suggests, part of the charm is its secrecy, so I certainly won’t be spoiling any of the big stuff.

Weeks before attending, you’re given a link where you create your alias for the evening – your name, your occupation, your colour code. We’re all converging on the Casino Royale in Montenegro as undercover operatives for MI6 as part of Operation Wildcard. I was to be media mogul Juliano Bloodworth (eat your heart out, Elliott Carver) and to wear something blue so that my contact would recognise me – maybe some blue Speedos like Bond wears in the movie?

Armed with business cards promoting my cover identity, I queued outside the secret London location, minutes away from a stop on the District Line. Cover story at the ready, phones are sealed in bags, casino dollars are handed out and… that’s all the detail you’re going to get.

OK, I will reveal that as with previous Secret Cinema experiences you get out what you put in, with the many actors ready to play along with you. I interacted with Le Chiffre’s henchwoman, operatives from MI6, and Felix Leiter. If you want to play at James Bond, this is the place to do it – the locations, the drinks, the girls, the gadgets and the glamour are all here. And when the evening ends with a performance of the film, it takes interaction to a new level.

Having been to The Empire Strikes Back and Blade Runner Secret Cinemas I think Casino Royale slightly suffers by not having such iconic locations. Sure, the Bond brand is huge, but this is limited strictly to Casino Royale and while Madagascar and Miami Airport are carefully recreated they’re not as memorable or impressive as Mos Eisley or future Downtown Los Angeles.

Verdict: Never a cheap night out (Sunday is your best option), Secret Cinema is a quality, prestige way to experience a film. Sometimes it’s the little touches that make you go ‘oh, that’s clever’, or when you grill a Russian baddie at the bar and for a moment you’re thinking on your feet and living the movie first-hand. A big game for big kids, it’s the escapism we all crave and need. 8/10

Nick Joy

 

Secret Cinema Presents Casino Royale is playing at a secret London location until 6 October 2019. Tickets from https://tickets.secretcinema.org/casino-royale