Lucy Penrose returns as Rizzo in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical as Secret Cinema brings the beloved film to life once again in London. Following a sold-out 2025 run, the immersive production promises an unforgettable theatrical experience filled with iconic songs and dynamic storytelling.
Set within the world of Rydell High, this spectacular event invites audiences to step inside the action, exploring locations such as Frosty Palace and The Autoshop while enjoying a live performance of the classic score.
Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical runs at Evolution London in Battersea Park from 22 July to 13 September. Tickets are available here.
You’re starring in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical at Evolution London. What can you tell us about the show?
I think Grease for most people is a film they love because they grew up watching it. Well, now you’ve walked straight into it.
You can go on the fairground, grab food, chat to the students you grew up loving, end up in Frosty’s, stumble across gossip in the corridors, and then suddenly you’re watching “Summer Nights” happen ten feet away from you.
What I love is that no two people have the same experience. You could come twice and have two completely different days because the world is so alive.
You can sit back, relax and watch the film, although I may pop in from time to time to say hi, or you can go and sing with Patty Simcox in the choir and dance at KZAZ.
It’s less like watching a musical and more like accidentally getting enrolled at Rydell High.
You’re returning to the role of Rizzo after last year’s sold-out run. How does it feel to step back into her shoes and explore the character again?
Honestly, it feels a bit like coming home.
Rizzo is one of those characters who gets funnier, sadder and more complicated the longer you spend with her. On the surface, everyone knows she’s witty and sharp, but underneath she’s just trying to protect herself in a world of Americana that she both enjoys and can see through, and I think that gives her incredible depth.
I think that’s why people still connect with her nearly 50 years after the film came out.
Coming back means I get to keep discovering things. The audience changes every day, the cast changes, the world evolves, so Rizzo evolves too. She’s never exactly the same person twice because of the nature of the immersive work. I am roleplaying as her, so sometimes I am even surprised at what comes out of my mouth, which keeps it exciting for me.
Also… she’s got the best lines, so I’m not complaining.
This production invites audiences to fully immerse themselves in the world of Rydell High. How does that unique format shape your performance?
It changes everything.
In a traditional musical, you know where the audience is and you tell the story outwards. Here, someone might be standing right next to you while you’re having a conversation, so it has to feel truthful enough that they believe they’re actually in the room with you.
You’re constantly listening, improvising and responding. If someone tells Rizzo they’ve just transferred to Rydell, brilliant, now that’s true and I am going to ask you where your sharp threads are from.
It’s probably the closest thing to genuinely living as the character rather than just playing her.
It also means that, as a cast, who are truly remarkable by the way, our relationships are stronger because we are also living as our characters with each other.
Fun things happen in every show. One show may have a rumour about who Eugene has a crush on and then the next we are all trying to find out who stole the castor oil, which for actors is a dream.
The show features so many iconic songs and moments. Do you have a favourite number to perform and why?
There are so many, but “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” will always have a special place in my heart.
People often think of Rizzo as the tough one, and then suddenly everything drops away and you see the person underneath. It’s beautifully written because she never asks for sympathy. She simply tells the truth.
I also love watching and chatting with the audience about their connection with that song. You can almost feel the room shift.
That said, if we’re talking pure joy, watching hundreds of people lose their minds during “Summer Nights” is pretty hard to beat.
You have an impressive range of stage credits. How does this experience compare to your previous roles?
Firstly, that’s very kind of you!
Every job teaches you something different, but this one probably asks the most of you as an actor. You’re acting, singing, dancing, improvising, world-building and sometimes helping someone find the toilets.
But I have noticed a trend in the roles that I tend to gravitate towards, and they are funny, quick-witted women who stand up for themselves. Something which I think they taught me how to be, because I certainly wasn’t.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical?
I’d say leave your expectations at the door and the more you throw yourself into an adventure, the more you will get out of the experience.
If you’ve ever wanted to step inside one of your favourite films, meet the characters, sing along, dance, explore and genuinely feel part of the story, then you’re going to have an amazing time.
Whether you’re a lifelong Grease fan or someone who’s somehow managed to avoid it until now, there’s something really special about seeing this world come to life around you.
Oh, and I am sorry if you end up on the end of one of my one-liners, but don’t worry, my bite is way worse than my bark.
