I’ve always struggled with events requiring some kind of audience participation. If ever you’ve encountered this kind of experience then you’ll recognise me as one of those people with their head down trying to be as inconspicuous as possible (the exact stance in fact that seems to draw the attention of those gleefully tormenting the audience from the front). You can imagine my anxiety then if I report that as I arrived at Sneaky Experience I was corralled into one of three queues based upon whether I classified myself as a dreamer an opportunist or valued wellbeing, by actors in US Airforce jumpsuits. We then had to embark upon a sequence of call and response involving lots of “Yes Sirs!” and salutes.
My companion for the event was running late so I had to experience my own little Dante’s Inferno journey alone up to this point and I was feeling pretty vulnerable. Suddenly I saw two people I know, both tall and in fancy dress – the perfect people to hide behind! Having found a safe spot I could finally relax and start to take of stock of my surroundings. First off, when it comes to audience involvement I’m definitely in the minority. Pretty much everyone here is either drenched in neon, covered in sweat bands or paying homage to their childhood film heroes. To my left is Indiana Jones, and Beetlejuice is just walking through the entrance – which should prove interesting later given that I know there’s ghostbuster hanging around here somewhere. I’ve already spoken a little bit about what Sneaky Experience is but for the initiated the basic idea is that a film is screened and entertainment is provided relating to it. The clues given out previously pointed towards the eighties (hence the fancy dress) and given the military attire of the actors it should come as no surprise that the screening for tonight is going to be Top Gun.
It might not be my cup of tea but I can understand and appreciate the reasons behind these audience games. A little bit of ritual humiliation does wonders for binding the group together and provides a shared experience to talk about on the way to and from the bar (I’m happy to say that I avoided the public star jumps and press-ups – I left that in P.E. and I’m never going back!). Having been dismissed we’re allowed to sample the other delights on offer before the viewing starts. I’m a self-confessed nerd so having a retro gaming section where you could both play and purchase old consoles and games was a real highlight (the urge to buy a Commodore 64 along with a copy of Geoff Capes – Strong Man was almost overwhelming) as was the eighties confectionary on offer, unfortunately as a vegetarian this was it for me in terms of food. There was a rather exciting hotdog vendor but all I was offered was an apologetic shrug and the assertion from my friend that he was sure there were no vegetarians in the eighties so my hunger was technically accurate. There was also the chance to recreate your favourite volleyball moments from Top Gun, take a spin around the roller skating area (both of which I dutifully avoided) and get some eighties make-up courtesy of Victoria Stansfield (which I dutifully did not avoid – for those interested my eyes really suit neon blue, orange and gold flakes) all to a background of eighties electro and pop.
It was during this pre-screening period that the actors really came into their own. They spontaneously recreated scenes from the film and constantly moved amongst and interacted with attendees, which really got the audience ready for the film itself and, as I been hoping, when the film started everyone was suitably raucous. Favourite segments were applauded, and the wonderfully over-the-top moments that the film is famous for were greeted with groans, cheers and laughter. Following the screening the eighties disco began in earnest, and although a few nineties tracks sneaked their way in it was everything you’d expect.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy my first foray into Sneaky Experience and I’ll certainly be attending the next one, but there’re just a few small niggles that stand out. Only providing two toilets (though this may have been the venue) for an event with a lot of alcohol involved is always going to lead to problems, and not providing any veggie food is a bit of personal peeve for me. I’d also love to see it go on a little bit later, by the point everyone had really started to loosen up we had to vacate and wander into town to try and fulfil our eighties urges. All of this can easily be dealt though and as this only Sneaky’s second birthday I’m very excited to see what they’ve got up their sleeves for the future.
To find out what Sneaky Experience have planned for next time make sure you check their Facebook and Twitter pages.