Secret Cinema: Back to 1955

The first rule of Secret Cinema is 'tell no one', but in the case of this community, the cat has been out of the bag for a good while. When the tickets to the community's Back to the Future event came on sale, several newspapers stated how the booking system had failed and how they would reopen the following day. Prior to these articles, I had not heard of that this would be the community's next event, and so, being a true 80s kid and a die-hard BTTF fan, I just knew I had to get tickets.

On the day when the ticket sale opened, I queued for an hour to get through to the bookings website, without luck. A few hours later, I tried again and managed to get tickets for both me and my boyfriend for a Thursday evening show, one week after the initial opening. But things didn't go as planned.

A week before the premiere, just an hour before the show was about the start, the show was cancelled. The same happened for every single performance until our show date, 31st of July. With the angry comments and the lack of communication experienced by fellow ticketholders, my enthusiasm plummeted. And finally, when my boyfriend announced me on Wednesday that he could not make the show due to work commitments, I felt defeated. What made matters worse was that resale of the tickets was prohibited – the organisers stated that they would carry out ID checks at the gate – and that cancelling or changing the dates was not allowed, either. I felt stuck and cheated, and decided not to go.

Last Thursday, a friend of mine contacted me and asked me if I was interested in going to the event on Friday. One of her friends had cancelled and they had a spare ticket. I decided to join them on the last minute.

I quickly put together a 1955-style costume of sorts and acquired a 1955 identity – an extra feature that the organisers promoted – and so I became Michelle Bush, Proof Reader at the Hill Valley Telegraph. At 5.30pm on Friday night, I was on my way to Hill Valley (or in this case, East London).

When the gates opened, I got to step into an amazing, inspiring replica of the world of the BTTF films. I got to visit both George McFly's and Biff Tannen's home, walk around in Doc's timeless house, skip rope with high school kids and play pinball at the punky Cafe 80s. I jumped in Biff Tannen's red convertible, sat on the backseat while he gave my friends a ride from the Town Hall to Lou's Diner, and was abandoned by him when he went up to fight George McFly. I ate a cheeseburger with fries and drank white wine at the green, surrounded by hundreds of fellow 50s kids.

The evening was crowned by a screening of the film – we sat on the village green, witnessing when the film was reflected against the silhouette of the Town Hall. As the film progressed, we got to see real-life actors complementing the storyline, acting out scenes around the replica set as they happened on screen. From Marty trailing the cars on his skateboard to Doc sliding down from the clock tower, the events were breathtakingly cool and inspiring.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I could not help but note how fantastic the film's screenplay was as well. My friend, a fellow screenwriter, was equally impressed. There is nothing unnecessary in the film; every little detail has a meaning in the bigger picture. I definitely need to read the script at some point.

So overall, the experience was an amazing one. I have never been to an event like this – and I doubt I ever will again. Such an inspiring, cool and fun evening, albeit a pricey one. With tickets costing over £50 each, all the food and drink were added on top... Not great with a student budget!

So despite the bad press, I would definitely recommend the BTTF Secret Cinema experience, or any Secret Cinema experience. I would love to go to another one – let's see what the future holds!

Michelle Bush, Proof Reader,

"The Foghorn" – Broadcast Date for my first Radio Monologue!

Exciting news! As part of my course, I wrote a short radio monologue under the topic of "Voices From Another World". My little piece, called The Foghorn, centres around a lonely lighthouse worker who attempts to fix a broken foghorn while a ship approaches on the foggy seas. Meanwhile, his mind is occupied by a tumultuous relationship he can't get over.

Now, the fruit of my labour has been recorded by my university's Sound Arts students, and it will be broadcast on Resonance FM on 28 May at 2pm (you can listen to it online anywhere in the world and a podcast should be available later). It will also be played through The Exponential Horn, the UK's largest loudspeaker, at the Science Museum, but I don't have the exact details on that yet.

My first professional credit – brilliant! I haven't heard the actual recording yet, but I have faith in the students.

Oh Olympics, escape extravaganza

For the past few weeks, it has been impossible to escape the big O-word. It has been what everyone has been talking about. Olympics this, Olympics that. Transport for London issued guidance regarding travelling during the games months ago, and we had a few meetings at work regarding commuting. We were even taught how to access our computers remotely if we were unable to attend work for some reason.

Although many Londoners were excited about the prospect of hosting the biggest sporting event and the cultural activities associated with it, I decided to join some of my fellow citizens in abandoning the city - for the first week, anyway. I departed London last Friday, on the opening night of the games, and watched the impressive ceremony back at my parents place. And wow, it truly was amazing!

As a result of the Olympics, the accommodation fees for hotels and hostels have skyrocketed, so many Londoners have decided to cash in by renting out their rooms for the duration of the games. I decided to do the same for the time I am away. I rented my room out to a friend couple, so there was the obvious friend-discount, but upon seeing the prices others were charging, I felt disgusted. Money talks, in this sense too. Not only have we paid millions of pounds in taxes to fund the Olympics and the train/underground/bus service maintenance associated with it, but now people are charging ludicrous amounts for short term stays. Although I desperately need money for my university fees, I could not overcharge with good conscience. People can be so greedy... it's awful. All they see are sterling signs.

I shall return next Sunday, so I won't miss all of the Olympics shenanigans, but this little break from London has been rather refreshing. I might post more about the games later, but for now... I am enjoying my mini-break out of the city and watching the games from my parents' couch :-)

Beautiful boats and royals in the rain

Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of HRH Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. To honour the reigning monarch's Diamond Jubilee, London has turned into a zone of festivities, smiles, laughter and joy. Free events have been organised for the occasion, some of which took place last week. 

Yesterday was the day of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, which saw over a thousand boats from different historical eras, Commonwealth countries and organisations sail through the River Thames. Powerful military boats were followed by cute steamboats and the Queen participated in the fun by sailing on her royal barge. 

Thousands of eager spectators occupied the riversides in an attempt to secure a good view to the river. We managed to get a descent spot close to Waterloo Bridge and enjoyed some munchies and cider while watching the activities of the river. And indeed, we saw the Queen and the royal family! Prince Harry dashed off without asking for my number though. How disappointing!

We stayed for quite a while, but left before the end as it started raining heavily. 

The Jubilee festivities continue today and tomorrow, however, I think I have had my share. I leave you with a not-the-best-quality picture of the pageant.

The royal family aboard the barge.