Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical
In July and August, Evolution London underwent arguably, it's biggest transformation to date. From our cloakrooms doubling up as Principal Mc Gee's office, to the Mezzanine featuring a Locker Bar, a 1950's inspired gymnasium and Frenchie's Beauty School, not one inch of the venue was left unturned.
A Summer to remember
Secret Cinema presents Grease
This summer, Grease came to life at Evolution London in spectacular immersive form. Secret Cinema transformed the venue into Rydell High and beyond, welcoming 76,000 guests to experience the iconic musical in a world where they didn’t just watch the story – they lived it.
Event Overview
- Client: Secret Cinema
- Guests: 76,000
- Build Time: 2 Weeks
- Rehearsals: 1 Week
- Creative Team: Multi-award-winning West End & Broadway team
- Catering Partner: Moving Venue
- Duration: 5 weeks, 8 performances per week
Evolution London was the perfect partner for a show of this scale. The team approached every obstacle with a solutions-first mindset, and nothing was ever too much. The space gave us the freedom to build our world exactly as we imagined it.
The Brief
Secret Cinema required a central London venue capable of supporting a large-scale immersive environment, combining live musical performance, cinematic presentation, and roaming experiential theatre. The space needed to:
-
Accommodate extensive scenic world-building
-
Allow fluid audience movement across multiple themed environments
-
Support live cast, choreography, audio-visual complexity and film projection
-
Deliver high-quality food & beverage integrated naturally within the story world
The Approach
Working closely with Secret Cinema’s creative and production teams, they reimagined Evolution London into a fully realised 1950s American world, including:
-
Rydell High hallways & gym
-
Frosty’s Palace diner
-
Frenchie’s Beauty School
-
The Auto Shop & Greased Lightnin’ car reveal
-
Full-scale Summer Carnival and Ferris Wheel finale
Guests were free to roam, explore, interact and choose their own pathway through the story — returning to “stepping stone” scenes familiar from the film.
Creative Leadership
The production was delivered by a multi-award-winning creative team, including:
- Matthew Costain, Director
- Tom Rogers, Set Designer
- Jennifer Weber, Choreographer
- Howard Hudson, Lighting Designer
- Gareth Fry, Sound Designer
- Ian William Galloway, Video Designer
“It’s a twist on the Secret Cinema magic of yesteryear. You’re stepping into the movie and also becoming part of a huge musical.”
Food & Beverage – Delivered with Moving Venue
Food and drink played an essential role in maintaining immersion. Working with Moving Venue, our long-term catering partner, we created a 1950s diner-inspired service experience.
Moving Venue delivered:
-
A menu featuring burgers, fries, shakes & retro desserts
-
Themed cocktails and bar activations throughout the world
-
Zone-based service layout to support continuous guest movement
-
Staff styling and service presentation matched to the Grease world
- Worked with event F&B sponsors: Nice Wines, Brixton Brewery and Altos
Guests could literally grab a milkshake and a burger between scenes — reinforcing the feeling that they were in Rydell High.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenges:
Transforming a blank canvas venue in two weeks
High guest movement across multiple spaces
Delivering immersive F&B at scale
Blending film, theatre, and audience participation
Solutions
Close scheduling and build-phase integration with the production design team
Zone-based layout planning and movement mapping
Themed service points designed with Moving Venue for fast flow and atmosphere
Staged sightlines, roaming cast integration and multi-point performance locations
Results
- One of the largest immersive entertainment productions in London in 2025
- 76,000 guests experienced the show across the run
- The venue facilitated multi-environment storytelling and free-roam participation
- Moving Venue delivered high-volume catering fully embedded in the theatrical world
- Reinforced Evolution London as a leading venue for large-scale immersive experiences