‘Bugsy Malone’ at the Troxy

01 Apr 2012

Ushered down the dark cobbled street beside the grandiose Troxy Theatre, we join the suited and booted, bedazzled and betasselled, patiently waiting for the go ahead to enter the secret back door. Just a casual late night trip to the library… As two enthusiastic librarians take our book, passing it through the makeshift book case, the door swings back transporting us to the roaring ’20s.

Reviving an old favourite from the early Secret Cinema days, Future Cinema brings back their famed immersive theatre and cinema event, celebrating Alan Parker’s 1976 classic, Bugsy Malone.

This is the first ever repeat of a Secret Cinema event and the moment you step through that bookcase, you can see why Bugsy Malone was ripe for a revival. Extended until April 29 due to overwhelming demand and with special family matinees every weekend, The Troxy honours its own history offering a spectacular evening of entertainment under the guise of Fat Sam’s Speakeasy at the heart of Prohibition era Chicago.

Complete with usherettes, dancing girls and Fat Sam himself making sure everyone is having a spiffing time, Future Cinema continues to prove that sometimes cult cinema is better experienced than merely screened. From tap dancing cleaners to Tallulah herself warming up the crowd and jogging the memory for those of us (me) who hadn’t seen the film for several years, the film is brought to life before the opening credits even roll.

Making 3D look like a second rate flick book, Future Cinema bring a new kind of cinema viewing, as characters and scenes jump out of the screen with live-action boxing rings, auditions and casinos and of course, the infamous splurge fight finale. The 10-minute warning of the approach of Dandy Dan’s mobsters and the location of the all-essential ponchos beneath our seats, resulted in what can only be described as pandemonium. And that was before the mobsters arrived. Never have I seen such abject terror on someone’s face when the realisation dawns that there is no poncho under their seat as a custard pie makes its way down the row…

Tip: Do not get splurge in your eye.

Future Cinema presents Bugsy Malone until April 29 at: