It has hosted movie experiences everywhere from Ally Pally to London Fields, but now Secret Cinema plans to put down roots in North Greenwich.
Secret Cinema is anything but a secret; for almost 20 years it's put on increasingly ambitious immersive film screenings, which have seen the likes of Grease's Rydell High School and the futuristic dystopia of Blade Runner's LA recreated at various locations in London and across the globe. Some 1.5 million film and TV fans worldwide have been to a Secret Cinema event. The 'secret' aspect is usually twofold: only clues are given as to what the screening will be of, while the location is kept secret until just beforehand.
The second aspect of this is now set to change, as Secret Cinema has announced it plans to open a purpose-built venue in North Greenwich, not far from The O2 and the soon-to-open Troubadour Theatre.
The venue is pending planning permission, but assuming the green light is given, Secret Cinema wants to be in its new home by the end of 2026 — thus adding another cultural magnet to an area now teeming with them.
Says Merritt Baer, Artistic Director & Producer of Secret Cinema: "Greenwich Peninsula is the perfect location for Secret Cinema's long-term flagship home. We are committed to bringing world-class immersive experiences to London audiences and are thrilled to work with local businesses and partners to make this happen... We are looking forward to breaking ground on this venue and continuing to bring entertainment's most loved stories to life."
Occasionally, Secret Cinema has been scuttled by its own soaring ambition; in 2014, the opening shows of a Back to the Future experience were cancelled at the last moment, prompting backlash from those who lost their booking fee.
Having a permanent venue should in theory give the setup more control over organising its experiences, although dyed-in-the-wool fans might argue that the peripatetic nature of the shows is part of what makes it so thrilling.
Still, Secret Cinema says in a press release that Greenwich will be its home "for up to 10 years", suggesting that in the future, it could be up on its feet once more.
