It’s here in London’s trendy Soho area that a secret bar is opening up – but where could it be?
The Secret swinging bar
Well, the costumes and cheeky winks might just be a giveaway.
‘Cahoots’ is hidden away underground and plays up how a group of scoundrels are running an illicit night just after World War Two.
Inception Group Director and Founder, Charlie Gilkes, says:
“Cahoots imagines a disused air raid shelter post World War Two in an old tube station. A lot of tube stations in London were used as air raid shelters during the Second World War and it imagines that this tube station is no longer in service, but had been used as an air raid shelter for families and people to take cover during the Blitz. And we have a cheeky narrative as it were that a group of scoundrels have found this old tube station, uses the air raid shelter and have set up a bar here.”
With music paying homage to the 40s and people dressing up it’s almost like being at a play.
The growing popularity of immersive theatre – where the audience both watches and joins in with a theatrical production – is a big influence for the ‘Cahoots’ owners.
“I think there’s a real trend in London and, well, globally now in immersive theatre. Obviously the speakeasy idea came to London five or six years ago. We actually opened ‘Barts’, which was the first, if not one of the first speakeasys in London and we saw that trend in the States. But now there’s a real trend for immersive theatre. People used to eat, drink and then go to the theatre, they then started enjoying theatre whilst they were eating and drinking and now people actually want to be part of the theatre.” gilks says.
So, customers sneaking into ‘Cahoots’ maybe hoping the bar will be matching the spirit of a 1940s night out.
When it looks like people really did know how to have a good time.
(Ventuno)