Secret Cinema 2016: have you guessed the film yet?

Secret Cinema returns to London from February 17 with a new show - and it’s about the Cold War.

The immersive cinema company, which combines live performance with classic film screenings, held a sell-out run of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back last summer. In a break from tradition, the choice of film was announced in advance - and screenings began to sell out just fifteen minutes after ticket sales opened.

Although this year’s film has not yet been confirmed, the event’s organisers have been dropping heavy hints online. The event's website, usdocs.co, shows visitors a montage of 1950s film clips, including scenes from a nuclear disarmament protest, accompanied by the message: “Our secret war. It’s your world. Time to act.” Over recent weeks, Secret Cinema’s Twitter feed has posted a series of enigmatic messages, addressing military and secret-service “operatives”.

From the repeated Cold War imagery, and the fact that a “sister event” will be held in Moscow from March 17-20, many are convinced that it's Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

In the 1964 comedy, described by critic Roger Ebert as “arguably the best political satire of the century”, a series of botched decisions and miscommunications lead to a world-ending nuclear war between America and Russia.

Previous Secret Cinema shows have been themed around well-known, popular films, including Back to the Future and The Shawshank Redemption, so the enduring cult appeal of Dr Strangelove makes it the most obvious contender. 1965 spy thriller The Ipcress File, and 1964’s Fail-Safe (another take on Mutually Assured Destruction) are also possible choices, but neither shares the popularity of Kubrick’s film.

Meanwhile, people on social media have been offering their own suggestions:

Attendees will be each be given an individual character identity as a member of the “Department of Cultural Surveillance”, and will be able to talk with each other over Secret Cinema’s own social network. The screenings, which feature performances from more than 35 actors, run from February 17 to March 20. 

Information and tickets: www.secretcinema.org/tickets