The Event:
Future Cinema's presentation of Bugsy Malone.
The Invite:
Location: The Troxy, East London.
Hoodlums: gangster style - suits, ties, hats (spats and pinstripes, if possible) etc.
Molls: best gladrags, hats, pearls, headbands, etc.
Nick: The evening started with Lynda & I dressed for the part, making our way through East London via bus, train and DLR to Limehouse, where this event was taking place. Being early in the evening, I was very self-conscious of my hat, and kept it partially hidden by the overcoat I had slung over one hand.
Lynda: Coward!! I wasn’t so lucky at being able to hide my headband as I’d had to sort my hair out around it (although that soon got messed up by the rushing about anyway!)
Nick: After one minor hiccup at Dalston Junction, we finally arrived at Limehouse DLR at around 6.30pm.
Lynda: With no clue where to go next as we couldn’t remember the rendezvous point...(maybe you couldn't - but I could: I had the details on my phone!!) but, after following another dressed up couple (I TOLD Nick they must be going to the same place!!!)...(Nick: Yeah, but in London, you can never be too sure!!)...
Nick: We were picked up from the meeting point (under the bridge, near the station) by a pedal sedan! It only seated the two of us, but it was enough...and it was quite a feeling being ridden through London's busy traffic to The Troxy theatre in London's East end - especially whilst we were dressed in 20's outfits, and our driver was dressed the same way!
The ‘cab’ dropped us off down a side street next to the theatre, where there were other 20's characters, heading down a back alley. Some of them looked decidedly shady...
Lynda: The atmosphere of the night was already building and you kinda started feeling that you were part of another world...
Nick: A young woman came and guided us through the alleyway, greeting Lynda in a New York/Bronx accent: "Hi Caroline!! It's so good to see you again!!" and air kissing her cheeks.
This woman then looked over at me with a coy sort of smile (oy!! lol!) and said, "Hey how are ya? So good to see you back here again...how’ve ya been?"
While being led through an ever growing gathering of people to a door at the back of the building we were soaking up our surroundings when one of the women suddenly looked upwards and started shouting at someone. Up on the roof was a typical looking gangster like he was up to something, watching over us, up to no good, shouting back at the woman that everything was OK...
At the door the bouncers were similarly dressed (even if they did have modern ear-pieces!) and after finding our names on the list we were assured that we would be taken straight to "the audition". (Ooer :-s)
After being guided into a small room off the main corridor, along with a handful of other guests - we were indeed subjected to an audition: a song and dance audition!!!! I cannot sing and am even worse at dancing, so normally, this would've been an absolute nightmare!! However, everyone else in the room was in the same boat (although I couldn't possibly speak for their individual talents - or lack thereof!), so we muddled through - and it was kinda fun!! The woman there, who spoke with a very broad Brooklyn accent, guided us through some dance moves, presumably to be used later in the evening...and then made us dance out of the room into the corridor!! I felt very awkward - but was still having fun with it!! (You did ‘swell’ – she said so lol!!)
Lynda: The corridor was dimly lit and there were books all over the floor.
Nick: I was stopped by the main character. He asked me a lot of questions: "How are ya doin'? Yer not with Dandy Dan, are ya?" I said no and answered each question accordingly. (It seems my acting experience and ad-libbing skills were coming in handy...)
He said "Good - cos Dandy Dan's kind aren't welcome in here. You can go in then." As I walked past towards the entrance, he said to his cohorts, "Watch this one, I don't trust him." (He knew you well ;-) !! )
He showed us through a door which led to flight of stairs curving down into the main part of the theatre - which had been transformed into Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy!! It was still The Troxy (I had filmed here a couple of years ago), but with some noticeable 20's changes: the stage area had 20's set decorations and structures, the mainfloor area had a lot of round tables covered with white tablecloth with chairs around them. There was a 20s style bar on the left wall (as you stood facing the stage) and a canteen style set up on the right wall. A jazz band was playing on stage.
Lynda: And with most of my outfit being on loan I really didn’t want to take any risks!!
Nick: So that settled it!!
There was a doorway at the back which was guarded by a 20's gangster, with a casino area just to the right of it. Off I went to investigate. Through the door and down the stairs to the left was Hung Fu Shin's Laundry - a lot of hanging laundry, 20's washing equipment and steam along with sound effects piping through the speaker system, really putting you in the scene!
Next door I found a little more interesting though: it was Slugger's Gym. There was a boxing ring, with a judges table to the side - and a hanging, full length punchbag. There was no one around...
I jabbed at the punchbag with a hefty punch – sending it flying, and it made me feel good!!! (You’re not such a weakling after all !!) I ran back upstairs to get Lynda, and when we both came back down a small crowd had gathered, including the trainer and a referee. He asked for two volunteers to "fight" - so I stepped up, along with another man, roughly about my age. We took our jackets and hats off and the referee gave us old-style boxing gloves. Taking us to one side, so no one could hear, he said "Get in there and fight - but don't actually hit each other, if you can avoid it! Just react to the "punches" and I'll do the rest."
We climbed into the ring, and gave him our names and I was introduced in true boxing style fashion to the waiting crowd as “Trig”!
Lynda was asked to ring the bell for the start and end of each round - DING! and we were off!! We threw a few punches at each other, with the trainer shouting out encouragement or tips: "Nice body blow! Keep those hands up! Move around, keep moving! Don't let him catch you on the ropes!" And so on, until...DING! End of round one!We went back to our corners and the trainer called us both over. Were we OK - yeah we were: we were having a great time!! He said that one of us should go down in the next round. We were to decide who, and what signal to give as to when it should happen. There was a slight moment of indecision as strangely, we were BOTH happy to go down in the next round!! The deciding factor was that I still had my keys in one trouser pocket, and my phone in the other...
DING! We came out fighting again, throwing a few moves - head shots, bod
y blows, ducking and weaving - until we were almost out of breath! I then gave my opponent a nod - the signal that the next blow would be the one - and threw a punch at his head, and BAM!!! His head whipped round in reaction, and he went down like a sack of spuds!! I was the winner!! I just HAD to throw my arms in the air - and hoped that Lynda had been taking photos!!
y blows, ducking and weaving - until we were almost out of breath! I then gave my opponent a nod - the signal that the next blow would be the one - and threw a punch at his head, and BAM!!! His head whipped round in reaction, and he went down like a sack of spuds!! I was the winner!! I just HAD to throw my arms in the air - and hoped that Lynda had been taking photos!!As we were walking out, the other chap also had a huge grin on his face: he had had as good a time in the ring as I had - but was just as worn out!!!
Two rounds, and these two old gits were clearly past it, still trying to catch our breath - but we had loved it!!
We went back upstairs to our seats and I went and got some drinks in. Yeah, I know, unusual for me! (Yeah but WHO was paying?!!!!) When I came back, Fat Sam himself came onto stage and welcomed us to the show!
After some welcoming banter, he introduced the first act - which was a rather lame comedienne, but at least she was trying...
He introduced every act on stage, some familiar songs - Fat Sam's Grand Slam among them, other 20's greats: such as two dance girls performing to the Charleston , some 20's jazz numbers, an old silent movie complete with resident accompanying pianist. The band was introduced - each player individually named - by Fat Sam too. Even Tallulah herself got on stage and sang her famous song!
During this, another chap was seen wandering among the audience, and he approached our table.
"Hey! So good to see you!! Have ya come back to audition for us?"
"No, not this time, sorry."
"Really? That's such a shame. I heard you were back at Carnegie Hall - such a good show! Are you sure we can't entice you to come back with us? Come on stage give us a quick number!"
I politely declined!!
Lynda: Not long after a dancer approached me asking if I liked dancing..."Erm, watching it ok - but doing it, no..."
Nick: Turns out that was the right thing to do - the next thing we knew, all the people who had auditioned with us - along with about 15 others - were brought onto stage, and had to dance and sing in front of EVERYONE!!! They were accompanied by the dancers and the woman who had originally auditioned us – needless to say, Lynda & I gave each other a VERY relieved look!!!
Lynda: At one point I noticed something going on at the back of the room and was trying to have a good nose from where we sat when one of the actors came over telling us to go and see what was going on.....the casino was open and people were playing the tables...suddenly armed ‘police’ burst into the room telling us to get down on the floor!!!
Nick: I really felt like we were back in a 20s
Speakeasy!!
Shortly after this had settled down, the show itself started, at around 8.30pm - introduced by Fat Sam himself, of course...
During the film, as certain scenes unfolded, they we re played out around us, on the stairs either side of the Troxy and through the audience area itself. Gangsters were chasing gangsters, dancers mingled with the crowd, or auditionin g actresses and dancers stood lounging around, awaiting their turn to audition - it really helped to not just set the scene, but really make it feel as though you were THERE!!! Beats ANY 3D film presentation ANY day!!
And then came the final scene - the MAHOOSIVE splurge fight at the end - and they stopped the film. There was an announcement that there were plastic ponchos under our tables, and that we had less than a minute to get them on - if we wanted them!!! But it was recommended that we do...(I’d have sat in the pit had I known!)
Gangsters and dancers ran throughout the audience, depositing paper plates on the tables in front of each person - and then piling the plates high with "splurge" from an aerosol can!! The film restarted , the gangsters appeared - and not just on screen! - and Lynda and I looked at each other. "Who do we hit?" She asked. I shrugged and SPLAT!!! She splurged me right in the face!!!! (And I LOVED it!!!)That was it!! This meant WAR!!! She quickly crouched down away from me, but I pulled her back, and splatted her right in her face too!! (But I managed to cover it with my hands first tee hee!!)
Gangsters ran about spraying people in the audience with their full on splurge guns - EVERYONE was getting splurged!!!! On screen and off!! This was just amazing!!
Then the final number came on and everyone got up to dance and sing along to it. What a tremendous feeling!! I guarantee that if you loved the film before, as I did, then you would come away loving it even more!!! I cannot adequately describe in words what I was feeling at that moment - but it was a truly unique night...and it wasn't even over at that point!!
The film may have ended - but the night was far from over....
Then they started up the music - and almost everyone either jumped down into the "pit" - which had now become the dance floor - or scrambled to the bar for some more drinks.
Lynda: “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” I wanted to get on my chair – it’s the only way to do that song, but Nick wouldn’t let me...
Lynda and me may not dance - but we DID have a "smooch" along to Ben E. King's "Stand By Me"...
Not long after we headed for the exit where we had one of the girls serving the popcorn and goodies take our photo over by the gambling tables. On our way out we were handed a "newspaper" - the New York Herald Tribune, which sported the headline "Future Cinema Gang War Flares" - with a photo from the film of Dandy Dan's gang in the laundry, pointing their splurge guns towards camera...and an article titled "Spotlight with Alan Parker."
This was basically the program, on the back was a cast list and within were the lyrics to Fat Sam's Grand Slam and You Give a Little Love, peppered with black and white photos from the film.
We headed into the foyer, where they had one of the pedal sedans in a roped off area - and we got the security guard to take our pic next to it!!!
I actually went home, back through the East End of London, Dalston and back to Stamford Hill, still wearing my hat - I must have looked a right sight, but I didn't care: I felt good!! I was really happy and had had a fantastic time!! I recommend this night to anyone who likes the original film!!
The entire time we were in there - from entrance to exit - there was dialogue coming from all the players, involving us, involving the crowd, getting us going, getting us into the spirit of the moment - and really putting us in the scene. I really felt like a 20s gangster!!
This is by far, the BEST mix of live action theatre and decent cinema that is around today. In my view, there is nothing that can beat the experience of actually "being there". They really made you feel as though you were part of that era - that you were THERE - and even part of the events unfolding on screen. Truly magical. Treat yourself as soon as possible!!
Future Cinema Presents Bugsy Malone - April 2012
