You can now shoot the breeze with David Bowie. In fact, people have been texting him to ask for career and relationship advice, British theatre director Richard Crawford tells me. To be clear, the rock legend passed away in 2016, so Crawford really means ‘David Bowie’. Like, an impersonator.
Being able to add ‘Bowie’ on WhatsApp, he explains, is part of the build-up an audience member can expect for his next iteration of Secret Theatre, an immersive, site-specific theatre experience. Theatregoers are not only placed in the thick of the action, but also made a part of it. They interact with the sets, props, and actors.
The 42-year-old first came up with this concept while living in New York in 2008. “I felt the music scene was big and cool, but the theatre scene wasn’t,” he says. “Then I went to this concert by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The lead singer jumped into the crowd and everyone danced around her. I was like, ‘Oh, this is why a show like that is better’.”
The experience inspired him to create the change he wanted to see. “People were like, ‘We don’t go to Broadway. It’s boring’. So, I was like, ‘How can we make it interesting?’ Blending theatre with a rock concert became the objective. The point was to bring everything closer together, like allowing guests to talk to the performers at the end.”
The idea took off. People who didn’t usually watch theatre shows started turning up, he adds. Since then, Secret Theatre has unveiled adaptations of films, including Edward Scissorhands, Reservoir Dogs, and Fight Club, and of plays, books, and poems. It has also held performances in London and Hong Kong, and held its first in Singapore in 2018. That first show here was an adaptation of ’90s cult film From Dawn Till Dusk. Reviews called it “one hell of a ride” and “a change in theatre as you know it”.
While our market may be small, Crawford reckons it is discerning. “When we do a show for Singapore, we’re doing it for the people of Singapore—the people who make up the fabric of the city, and who want a different experience,” he asserts.
This month, Secret Theatre returns to our shores with “New York Secret”. It’s no film adaptation this time round—Crawford just wants to bring the ’80s Big Apple experience to life this time around. To him, it’s no different from, say, transporting guests back in time to visit Cleopatra in Egypt.
In addition to ‘Bowie’, “New York Secret” will also feature ‘Diana Ross’, ‘Elton John’, ‘Debbie Harry’, ‘Michael Jackson’, and ‘Andy Warhol’. Crawford relishes that he didn’t have to rack his brains for this edition because the extraordinary characters already exist or once did. And the characters, he stresses, are the currency of his shows.
Expectedly, Secret Theatre is secretive. Attendees will only receive information, including venue details and what will take place during the evening, after purchasing tickets. He believes this is exactly what keeps them coming back.
At the time of this interview, Crawford is in Spain, where he is based, and will only fly in next week to present the show. Yet, demand for tickets has been surging, so arrangements are already being made to extend the run. At press time, it is slated to conclude at the end of March.
With suspense a major element of a Secret Theatre production, a whiplash change in mood and narrative is par for the course. “People wonder, ‘Do you want to thrill me? Scare me? Or just have the best time of my life?’ And it changes throughout the show,” he says.
“I have no interest in making people uncomfortable. It’s about letting them do things they don’t get to do in everyday life, like killing a vampire.”
Richard Crawford on what keeps audiences coming back
He adds that audiences who don’t speak the language still have a good time. “It’s not about sitting and watching a performance in English at all—it’s about seeing and feeling things. It’s about the music, the dance, the thrills, the spills. It’s a universal experience.”
How does he keep topping previous productions? It always helps to constantly tune in to guests’ needs, like adding a food and drink component. “The shows start at 7pm and people come hungry, especially in Singapore where you guys are world-class busy.”
So, Secret Theatre now offers a free-flow food and drinks option. “I’d say this is important to 60 percent of the audience. Not everyone wants or has the time to grab a quick bite before the show. Plus, some people are like, ‘It’s Friday night, I’m going out, just give me the best to eat and drink. I don’t want to think about it’.”
In Crawford’s opinion, immersive experiences are only going to become the norm. As it is, he has been approached by brands such as Netflix and Tom Ford to create immersive activations. He has also helped augment the Disneyland experience.
“At a festival, a racing car company saw some of my work and said, ‘That’s cool. It’s a shame we can’t really do that here.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean? Get the race car drivers to have a fight. Get a podium. Get the champagne’,” he recounts.
“They said, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea.’ That’s an indication that brands want to be more fun.”
