There's an abundance of ways you could step out of this horrible year to celebrate change and healing, but none seem more exciting than a chance to step back 100 years into a period of ultimate glamour, style, fashion, cocktails and music – bring in the New Year and relive the roaring 1920s at The Tivoli's Speakeasy.
Brought to you by Brisbane Immersive – creators of 'Cluedo! The Interactive Game' – The Tivoli ballroom will be transformed to host a night of sophisticated vaudevillians and sassy showgirls, immersive jazz, cocktails of the period and of course, 1920s-inspired attire."Everyone will be dressed in 1920s clothing. . . you'll feel like you've stepped back in time."
"We're focused on creating immersive theatre and things that are a world, to involve the audience in a whole new world," Brisbane Immersive's Company Director, Ben Lynskey says.
"One of the ways we do that, we put on shows in era, because that allows us to bring people into a space they're not used to being in.
"Specifically, this year, we thought, ‘let's do this '20s show, but big, extravagant, and at The Tivoli where we can bring a lot more people into it'. . . We wanted to have a celebration, and this felt like the best way to celebrate."
For those who attend, Ben hopes they will contribute to the theme and general atmosphere of the evening. "When people arrive at The Tivoli, the entry will be transformed and people will enter through a bakery where there's a secret speakeasy hidden behind and you have to give a secret code to pass through.
"The audience are going to be drawn in to begin with – everyone will be dressed in 1920s clothing and the idea is it'll feel like you've stepped back in time.
"In our shows, you can engage as much or as little as you want. If you're someone who wants to get involved in the storylines and involved in everything that's going on, you absolutely can, but if you don't want to engage or talk to the actors, you don't have to. There's still so much entertainment going on.
"There's going to be a huge cast doing big, musical numbers and dances from a stage and there'll be characters moving around the venue, living in the world, interacting with people in a bunch of ways. There's a little bit for everyone, depending on what you're looking for."
One aspect of staging such an event is providing historically accurate details, from dances, music, food and drinks. Ben and his team bring a significant amount of expertise in this field to the table.
"A lot of the work we do is built around this period. So we've kind of built up a wealth of knowledge around this time, specifically décor, fashion and music styles."
There's one key element that Ben describes as essential to enjoying a complete experience at Speakeasy NYE – costume. From Mary Jane heels, fringe wraps, cloche hats and beaded dresses, the 1920s fashion helps make the moment.
"The costuming for us is really important that when we're creating this world, everyone dresses up," Ben says.
"Our costumes are a level above; they have to be perfectly detailed and intricate and extravagant and stick out of the crowd. It takes a lot of time to research."
However, there's a major historical feature Speakeasy NYE won't be adhering to; America's infamous prohibition of alcohol. The event will offer a host of authentic 1920s cocktails, which will, of course, be accurate to those naughty times. "Most famous cocktails that we know today were made in the 1920s," Ben explains.
"The era of cocktails began when you had prohibition and you had to find ways to make not-very-good booze taste better. That's how things were invented. Things like the Mojito, the Hanky Panky, and a fairly well-known one, a Martini. Quite a few classic cocktails were from the 1920s.
"Our key is to pick cocktails that have that glamorous and extravagant feel to them – I think a Martini is a good example of that. Drinking a Martini in a speakeasy takes you somewhere.
"When you create an immersive world, you want every single sense to be activated, to be part of that world – touch, sight, smell, taste – and so all of those things, every little detail is trying to transport you back. And The Tivoli is already designed to look like a 1920s venue; the décor, everything about it, screams 1920s."
Speakeasy NYE takes place at The Tivoli (Brisbane) 31 December.
