What was the event?
Organised by Freud Communications, the event took place on Wednesday 21 August and was attended by more than 600 people. Guests took their seats for a night of immersive cinema as Mission Impossible was screened coinciding with a series of live performances.
How did the event unfold?
Guests were ushered through the back entrance of the east London venue and along darkened corridors. Actors under the guise of secret agents led attendees to the main auditorium, also known as the Meerkat Intelligence Agency.
The main focal point of the event was a showing of Mission Impossible. During one of the film’s most well-known scenes, an actor dangled down on a rope much like Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt. Intermittent explosions as well as actors dressed in white laboratory coats hurriedly walking through the audience helped to bring the movie to life.
The showing of Mission Impossible lent itself well to the launch of Compare the Market’s new meerkat toy. Maiya is a secret agent and is the first female meerkat to feature in the company’s latest advertising campaign. She made an appearance via video-link and celebrity guest Elizabeth Hurley came on stage to talk to her and introduce attendees to the film.
Other highlights included a choice of pork loin, chicken schnitzel and crispy aubergine for dinner supplied by Speck Mobile, an Austrian food specialist. A selection of wines, beers and spirits were provided by the venue.
Guests left Troxy with the new Maiya meerkat toy along with its certificate of authenticity and a USB stick with ‘top secret’ information.
On the spot - Daniel Smith, business development manager at Troxy
Do you think the event went well?
The event went very well considering that it was a Wednesday in August at the height of summer. The turn-out was really good, it attracted a different audience and more people were exposed to immersive theatre. People are looking to push the boundaries and want to be involved in something new.
What were the challenges?
Production was a challenge, as rehearsals only started on Monday afternoon. The abseiling act was particularly difficult to pull off in a day. However, Future Cinema is adept at setting up quickly as it often holds events in temporary venues and so is used to doing it.
Why does Troxy make such a good venue for immersive cinema?
As an independent venue, we’re not answerable to anyone and so are more willing to embrace immersive events. We’ve also got a lot of floor space and a lot of what was needed was already available at Troxy.
Behind the scenes
Speck Mobile
www.speckmobile.com
Troxy
www.troxy.co.uk
020 7790 9000
Freud Communications
www.freuds.com
020 3003 6303
Future Cinema
www.futurecinema.co.uk
020 7739 6055
QED Productions
www.qed-productions.com
01707 648800
