Credit: Matt Crockett
By Grace Hatchell
I have waited patiently for many things in life. A parcel that said “out for delivery” for three days. A bus that allegedly existed. My natural transformation into Sandy from Grease.
And now, while I am still waiting for that last one, Secret Cinema has gone and announced that Ricky Wilson, lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs, will be playing Teen Angel in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical across selected performances this summer.
Yes. That Ricky Wilson. Kaiser Chiefs frontman. The Voice UK coach. Ruby singer. Masked Singer phoenix. Professional pop star. General man of many jobs. He is now heading to Rydell High, and honestly, if he gets to descend into Beauty School Dropout while I am still not being asked to play Sandy, I may need a moment with a hairbrush and a dramatic bedroom mirror.
Secret Cinema is welcoming audiences back to Rydell High once more with the return of its smash-hit Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, following its sold-out run in 2025. The production opens at Evolution London in Battersea Park for a strictly limited run from 22 July to 13 September.
Ricky Wilson will join the previously announced Stephanie Costi and Lucy Penrose, who return as Sandy and Rizzo respectively, reprising their roles from last year. They are joined by Giórgios Michaelídes as Danny and Arcangelo Ciulla as Kenickie, with full casting still to be announced.
Now, Ricky’s own explanation for joining the show is frankly the sort of confession that belongs in a school reunion, a backstage dressing room, or one of Grace’s satchels. He said: “At school I was in Grease and I feel I have to redeem myself. I was not yet the international pop sensation I am today and I only really wanted to do it cos I fancied the girl who played Frenchie (I was Doody) so this is my chance to show everyone I should have got a bigger part. I don’t believe anyone from that production is now a professional singer, so in short, I win.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, is not just a quote. That is a man settling unfinished business with a school production of Grease. Somewhere, a former Frenchie is making a cup of tea and wondering what she started.
Each performance of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical runs for two hours and fifteen minutes, which is roughly the same amount of time I need to explain why I should have been cast as Sandy at least once in my life. Audiences will step into Rydell High and relive the film’s most famous moments, from Beauty School Dropout, featuring Teen Angel Ricky Wilson, to Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’ and We Go Together.
Every iconic song from the beloved 1978 Paramount Pictures film is brought to life by a knock-out cast and live band, performing against multiple movie screens. This is not just sitting politely in a theatre seat and humming along under your breath. This is Grease as a full modern live experience, with audiences walking straight into the world of the movie.
From the moment they arrive, visitors can explore iconic locations including Frosty Palace, The Autoshop and The Carnival. They can immerse themselves in school spirit, train with Coach Calhoun, cheer on the T-Birds, take part in choir practice and even tuck into 1950s American diner-style delights.
Basically, it is the sort of thing I would have considered emotional research had I been cast as Sandy. Which I am still available for, incidentally. I own hairspray. I can look wistful. I have suffered enough for the role.
The production has already earned plenty of praise. Radio Times called it “movie magic come to life”, while the Evening Standard described it as “a masterpiece” and “a spectacularly ambitious show”. So no pressure, Rydell High, but expectations are revving louder than Greased Lightnin’.
The show is brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, including Director Matthew Costain, Set Designer Tom Rogers, Choreographer Jennifer Weber, Lighting Designer Howard Hudson, Sound Designer Gareth Fry and Video Designer Ian William Galloway.
Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical is produced by Secret Cinema and TodayTix, with Merritt Baer as Artistic Director and Co-Founder, and Ben Hosford as Executive Producer.
The wider creative team includes Director Matt Costain, Choreographer Jennifer Weber, Set Designer Tom Rogers, Lighting Designer Howard Hudson, Sound Designer Gareth Fry, Music Supervisor, Orchestrator and Arranger Steve Sidwell, Video Designer Ian William Galloway, Costume Designer Susan Kulkarni and Martina Trottman, Wigs, Hair and Make-up by Farida Ghedwar and Jessie Deol, and Casting Director Grace McInerny for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting.
Due to popular demand, summer 2026 will also feature even more themed Roam and Return seating, allowing audiences to explore the experience before returning to dedicated seating at Frosty Diner or The Drive-In. Which, frankly, sounds dangerously close to letting people live inside the film. If anyone needs me, I’ll be near the diner, pretending this was all fate.
Ricky Wilson will appear as Teen Angel on selected dates: 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31 July; and 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25 and 26 August.
Wilson is best known as the lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs, one of Britain’s most successful bands. The group have released seven original studio albums, including Education, Education, Education & War, which reached number one in the UK album charts in 2014. Their success includes platinum record sales, top ten singles including the number one hit Ruby, three Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello Award for album of the year, tours with U2, Foo Fighters and Green Day, and eight million albums sold.
The band recently completed a hugely successful world tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of Employment, the album that launched them into the stratosphere, with more festivals and UK shows following in 2026.
Ricky has also been a coach on The Voice UK alongside Tom Jones, Will.i.am, Boy George and Paloma Faith, and was named the winning coach for the second year running in 2016. He has hosted Bring The Noise on Sky One with Nicole Scherzinger and Tinie Tempah, presented The One Show, hosted a weekly show on Radio X, fronted Ricky Wilson’s Art Jam and Britain’s Best Young Artist on CBBC, and appeared on The Masked Singer UK in 2023 as Phoenix, finishing as runner-up in the grand final. He also presented Drive on Virgin Radio for several years, leaving just ahead of the Employment 20th anniversary tour, and continues to appear across Radio 2 and entertainment television.
Joining him in the cast, Arcangelo Ciulla plays Kenickie. His theatre credits include A Knight’s Tale The Musical at Manchester Opera House, Singin’ in the Rain in Dubai and China, Mamma Mia! in the West End, Disney’s Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park, which earned him a Stage Debut Award nomination for Best Performer in a Musical, Billy Elliot on Italian and international tour, and Dick Whittington at New Wimbledon Theatre. His film credits include Cruel Peter.
Stephanie Costi returns to play Sandy. Her stage credits include Something Rotten! at Manchester Opera House, Pretty Woman in Zurich, Sleeping Beauty at Darlington Hippodrome, Fame in Athens, The Sound of Music in Beirut and on Lebanon tour, and Romeo & Juliet with English National Ballet. Her concert credits include Children of Eden, West End Does: Love at Cadogan Hall, Roles We’ll Never Play at Union Theatre, and One Young World: Opening Ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. She also came third in ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream.
Giórgios Michaelídes plays Danny. His stage credits include opening for Justin Timberlake on the Forget Tomorrow World Tour, Grease on UK tour and at the Dominion Theatre, Disney’s Newsies at Troubadour Theatre, and Here Come The Boys at The London Palladium. His film credits include Mistletoe Farm.
Lucy Penrose returns to play Rizzo. Her theatre credits include Ancient Grease at The Vaults, Growled at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Judy! at Arts Theatre, Southwark Playhouse and London Hippodrome, Eurovision, Your Decision at Above The Stag Theatre, Wonderville, King’s Head Theatre and Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Top Hat and California Suite at Royal Court Liverpool, and A Pissedmas Carol with Sh!tfaced Showtime at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For television, her work includes Watchmen.
Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical runs at Evolution London, Battersea Park, Chelsea Bridge Gate, Queenstown Road, London SW11 4NJ, from 22 July to 13 September. Performances take place Tuesday to Sunday at 7:30pm, with Sunday evening performances at 5:30pm, plus Saturday matinees at 2:30pm and Sunday matinees at 12:30pm. The gala performance takes place on Wednesday 29 July at 7:30pm.
Tickets and further information are available at www.greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com.
So there we have it. Ricky Wilson is Teen Angel, Rydell High is back, the T-Birds are revving, the diner is open, and somewhere in the distance I am warming up my Sandy vocals just in case anyone sees sense.
Tell me about it, stud.
No, really. Tell me. I have been waiting years.
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