Club NVRLND | The Business Case Study on Never Growing Up
- Ruth West
- Aug 28
- 4 min read
Forget the dusty scripts and polite audience applause— Club NVRLND burst onto the Edinburgh Fringe like confetti from a cannon. This semi-immersive musical throws Peter Pan into the glitter-soaked chaos of the noughties club scene creating a mash-up of theatre, party and pure nostalgia. It’s not just a show — it’s a vibe. It redesigns the night out, inviting audiences to dance, party and experience theatre, stepping straight into Neverland with glowsticks in hand. This is more than just a musical: it’s an experiential event and it is this distinction which makes it an incredible arts business model.
1. A Story Everyone Knows… but this time, with glowsticks
Everyone knows Peter Pan: that’s the magic… because the story is universally recognisable the audience didn’t need a synoptical briefing.
Chuck him and his lost boys into a noughties clubland full of pop songs, sequins, and strobe lights and suddenly you’ve created nostalgic curiosity and serious FOMO which should translate into ticket sales.
The show will attract dual audiences: average musical-goers and those who might not normally book tickets for traditional theatre but are drawn to the nightlife and immersive entertainment side.
2. Theatre that makes you sing and dance
Immersive shows are successful for loads of reasons, one of which is because they’re Instagram and TikTok gold. If your audience is on the dancefloor with the cast, you can guarantee they’re filming it, sharing it, and marketing your show for free.
A club atmosphere mixed with iconic 2000s tunes — lights, music, dancing, audience interaction — transforms the theatrical experience for your audience who go from passively watching the show to living it.
As a side note here, most clubs are already kitted out with all the tech you need (minus a few head mics) for this show. If you actually took it into clubs you would cutting your hires budget significantly.
The Fringe is crowded, so you have to think of a way to stand out from the pack. Setting a show in a full-on nightclub? That’ll do it!
3. Create Multiple Revenue Streams
Why stop at describing this show as a must-buy “theatre ticket”? Club NVRLND is also a night out. That’s two experiences for the price of one.
A show like this lends itself to so many upselling opportunities: afterparties, branded playlists, branded tees, light-up merch, maybe even food and drink partnerships. The possibilities really are endless with a show like this, in a way that it isn’t always with traditional theatre.
It’s a musical set on the dance floor. It’s the difference between going out and going out out. The social nightlife elements – that’s where the unique selling point is here. And it is that which will get the drinks (and the money) flowing.
4. The Nostalgia Factor
Millennials are suckers for a noughties disco (and as a millennial, I know): the Nokia ringtones, the Britney beats, and the sticky floors bring back memories for us of freshers week strawpedo-ing Barcadi Breezers and dropping it like it’s hot!
Do you know who else is into this music, though? The Gen Y and Gen Z-ers. The nineties have had a huge resurgence in recent years. It’s literally (a word I don’t use lightly) the perfect show for today.
By taking the hint in the popularity of musicals like Moulin Rouge and & Juliet and producing something in a similar vein but with a twist Club NVRLND creates an emotional pull that makes people want to relive their youth and those who want to experience theatre in a new way.
It’s also just on point with the themes of the original J.M. Barrie play. It creates a land where us kids that were born in the eighties can spend the night feeling like we never grew up.
5. So On Trend Right Now
Immersive experiences aren’t just “in” right now, they are the trend. From Secret Cinema to ABBA Voyage, audiences crave theatre that puts them in the middle of the action rather than watching passively from the sidelines.
Club NVRLND taps straight into this appetite. By blurring the line between club and stage, it creates a unique space for audiences to be a part of.
Events such as these are sold differently to theatrical performances. Audiences are often willing to pay more for immersive shows than standard theatre tickets which makes this another smart move from this arts business.
What Would The Arts Business Do?
In the future you could take this even further. In addition to everything above, here’s what I’d do:
Run a ‘bed by midnight’ club night (or over-thirties style the like of which have become more and more popular in recent years).
Going to an actual club, (for anyone who went out in Birmingham in the noughties I’m thinking something with Gatecrasher vibes).
Open around 6pm.
Play classic pop and dance music of the time.
Theme it with a nod to Neverland.
Set up photo opportunities.
Run fancy dress competitions.
Think themed merch and cocktails.
Think about singalongs in projection.
Have characters roaming around the space from an hour before the show creating immersion and setting the scene.
Start the show around 9pm.
A little more everyone headed home by 10.30pm and a little less second star on the right and straight on until morning.
Conclusion
Club NVRLND is proof that theatre doesn’t have to sit quietly in the dark, it can be sweaty, shiny, bass-thumping pandemonium. By rebranding Peter Pan for the noughties dancefloor, the team tapped into storytelling, nostalgia, and the experience economy all at once. It’s a reminder to creatives and businesses alike: when you mix familiarity with surprise, and art with nightlife, you don’t just put on a show… you throw a party people will pay to join over and over again.
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