Exclusive report from the grand re-opening of the Casino Royale

By: Ajay Chowdhury

Published:
2019-06-07

In the most Montenegran part of East London, a group of bankers, music producers, secret agents and other particular elements of society with a particular set of skills were gathered for the grand re-opening of the Casino Royale. Addressed by the beautiful hostess, attendees were given a vital piece of information to enjoy their evening. This piece of vital data was... [WRITER TASERED AND DRAGGED OFF BY TWO SIS MINDERS].

What follows is a recovered document from the writer’s hard drive, recovered forensically and decrypted.

Operative 424 JOEL BEACH Report to Mathis:
Operation Wildcard - Digest

It seems one must first be registered and pick a legend – a false identity complete with background. To be correctly identified one must choose a colour and display this colour by an item of clothing or an accessory: the Secret Cinema site had a range of delicious Casino Royale items for sale. It is suggested that for infiltration to work fully, one really buys into the whole alias game and role plays throughout the mission. More fun will be had and the infiltration will be more successful.

Once inside the Casino Royale, one meets one’s colour-coded contact identified by flowers and is sent to retrieve items and clues. This is achieved by navigating one’s way through a series of lovingly recreated settings and scenarios from the Daniel Craig era of Bond movies, concentrating on Casino Royale itself. With all agents dressed to their missions and characters roaming around the cavernous venue in full costume, it is a totally surreal theme park experience. Immersive and exciting to pass by Valenka and Kratt in Miami, Mr White and Felix Leiter in Venice, purchase local Madagascan food amidst a street fight, visit Q Branch and be debriefed and finally entering the big salon at the Casino Royale. Here one is totally undercover: a Robert Palmer-esque all woman rock band choreographed to industrial tech perfection, sight of Le Chiffre casually plying the green baize battlefield with billion-zloty plaques and a glimpse of 007 himself. Surrounded by fellow agents and actors intermingled, it is hard to tell fiction from fact. The Belvedere Vodka lounge allows one to gather one’s senses before the whole gag is revealed. Like Goldfinger’s trick billiard room, the setting converts into a cinema large enough to hold a Skyfleet jet.

And then, we are thrilled to be seeing Daniel Craig’s ground-breaking 007 debut. For the immersive experience continues with clever, poetic, surprising dynamics. You are not watching Casino Royale (2006) again: you are feeling it.

It’s 007 Cirque du Soleil. The attendees cheered, laughed, and wolf-whistled throughout – the energy was palpable. But, like most Bond fans, if you’ve only seen the film 77 times, it won’t have been enough. You need to view it one more time: like this.

The grand re-opening of Casino Royale in London on 3rd June 2019. Photo by Alex Jenkins.

Aston Martin at Casino Royale in London

Aston Martin parked outside the Casino Royale in London on 3rd June 2019. Photo by Ajay Chowdhury.

Joel Beach - Agent 424’s report recovered by Ajay Chowdhury, co-author of Some Kind Of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films now published in paperback from The History Press and updated to include The Road To Bond 25.

With thanks to Alex Jenkins.

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Exclusive report from the grand re-opening of the Casino Royale

It’s 007 Cirque du Soleil. The attendees cheered, laughed, and wolf-whistled throughout – the energy was palpable. But, like most Bond fans, if you’ve only seen the film 77 times, it won’t have been enough. You need to view it one more time: like this.

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