Future Cinema presents a revival of Secret Cinema's Bugsy Malone
19 March, 2012
by: Alice Aylett Roberts
We coulda been anything that we wanted to be....
As my companion and I carefully make our way down Commercial Road to The Troxy for Future Cinema’s latest event, we are suddenly beckoned into a nearby alley by a dapper looking man with a thick Chicago accent. Once our guide has been safely assured that we’re there to see Fat Sam, and not to make trouble, he leads us to another side street lined with chorus girls, soda stands and vintage pedal cars. At the door, we are quickly ushered down a flight of stairs and guided through a labyrinth of rooms designed to immerse the audience into the world of Bugsy Malone. Incidental scenes from the forthcoming film are referenced, with entire annexe rooms or corridors mocked up as a laundry or a boxing ring.
Future Cinema is a renowned purveyor of interactive film experiences and their current production of Bugsy Malone marks a revival of this children's gangster movie classic. Since the original 2009 production was met with universal praise, I am expecting perfection, and it soon becomes apparent that I didn’t don my tassels and pearls in vain. The success of Future Cinema lies in its attention to detail and once inside Fat Sam’s bar, little can detract from the period ambiance, except perhaps the beeps and flashes of several hundred digital cameras and mobile phones.
The live event includes everything that a committed Bugsy Malone fan would hope to see; spectacular costumes, full scale song-and dance numbers and even an incident of mass custard pie flinging. When the film begins, the production and enthusiasm doesn’t falter for a second, and most of the movie’s musical numbers are met with as much applause from the eager audience as the live performances.
Future Cinema cleverly fuses stage and screen, unleashing a full gambit of tricks to draw out the best from a film genre and redefine what we expect from a cinematic experience. Bugsy Malone marks another triumph for Future Cinema and proves they have cracked a truly winning formula. Or, as Fat Sam would put it; “they’ve got brains up there, not pretzels.”
Bugsy Malone runs at The Troxy until 14th April.
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