Looking for your next competitive sport group night out? We stretched our wrists, warmed up our arms, donned our flannels (well, not really) and headed out with a large group to Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing in London, and we’re here to report on this fun and high energy night out.
One’s mind usually jumps to lumberjacks out in the woods when thinking about axe throwing, but as a sport it started in Europe after the millennium, and became more popular around 2006. The first commercial axe throwing venues opened in 2016 in the UK and Poland, and before our visit here in London we’ve heard it being a super popular group activity in the USA as well.
Credit: Whistle Punks UK Ltd
The rules are quite simple: throw a small axe towards a target board, and while no prior experience or special athletic ability is required, there is definitely a method and strategy to throwing an axe successfully.
With other locations in Bristol, Manchester and Leeds, Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing provides a down-to-earth rough and ready night out, with its fun mix of corrugated metal and wooden decor. Upon first arriving we wondered if we were even in the right place, as it’s a little difficult to find. Once inside it’s a simple venue, but with its many lanes and targets which each allow for up to 10 players, it’s definitely a busy and energetic space.
Credit: Whistle Punks UK Ltd
Stocking up on food and drinks, we were then provided training from instructors who showed us a few strategies on how to score a bullseye, and these staff were always on hand to offer advice on bettering our throws, and, perhaps even more importantly, how to do so safely. Not only did we compete against the others in our group, but there was also a winner-takes-all tournament between all the lanes, with prizes including t-shirts and gift cards, and even an opportunity to join a hall of fame wall with your own tree ring, so there was an amazing meld of camaraderie and competition!
Credit: Whistle Punks UK Ltd
Final Thoughts: This seems the perfect place to bring a group of friends, and while there was a lot of downtime while waiting for another turn to throw, there was always something to do, whether enjoying the food and drink on offer or watching fellow players and seeing what their strategies and methods were for a successful throw (and those that weren’t), and what tricks were possible with a single hatchet. It’s also a decent amount of time for an event, which approximately 70-minute slots on offer. This may not be our favourite competitive sport of choice, but we’d go back – there’s a definite thrill in throwing an axe, and a unique way to go about stress relief!
This past Halloween weekend we travelled to the big top! The Clapham Grand was the latest venue for the travelling circus-inspired clubbing event. Cirque Du Soul brands themselves as the 21st Century’s Moulin Rouge, and we can tell why with the level of colour and energy they bring to the table. Granted, Clapham Grand is a smaller venue than they are used to performing in, but it was no less delightful than we expected, and let us dress up in our favourite twisted-carnie-style!
Credit: Storefront City
There was a wide range of great music on offer, anywhere from house, to soul and funk, to a bit of disco and hip-hop spun from live DJs on the dance floor. Clapham Grand set up the night in an interesting manner, with the DJ on the ground floor allowing for two different dance areas, one on the Grand’s stage itself, which was fun to experience as we’ve been to the venue many times but have never set foot on the stage before. This also allowed for a variety of perspectives to experience the decor and performers from several vantage points, and we loved the immersive feeling this provided with everything happening all around us.
Credit: Cirque Du Soul
The performers were definitely our highlight of the night, with circus-themed stilt walkers roaming the crowd and even two giant puppet-like clowns dancing among the revellers. Upon seeing these Killer Klowns from Outer Space-themed creatures we knew right away that Cirque du Soul must work with Area 51, an immersive design and event company who also provide performers and costumes – and we’re well acquainted with these favourite clowns of theirs! All the performers made the night what it was, dancing and interacting with the crowd in these incredible-difficult costumes. They charged up the atmosphere, and brought the circus to life at this incredible venue. We didn’t stay the entire night having already been to some other Storefront City events that evening, so we don’t know if we missed a bigger variety of acts (we thought there would be aerialists, fire or more, but The Grand is too small of a venue for this). Regardless, we were more than satisfied from the floor performers and the delightful and raucous energy they brought to the party.
Credit: Storefront City
Final Thoughts: While not as show-stopping as rival event The Dark Circus Party, Cirque Du Soul is definitely a fun themed night out with high levels of entertainment value, and heads above the Twisted Circus events we’ve also attended before. We’d be interested in seeing what Cirque du Soul can do with larger event spaces, especially with their relationship with Area 51 and their expertise in the circus arena – they’ve got a Christmas/NYE event coming up at the Troxy this year, so we’ll head over and try it out. And we can never say no to some Killer Klowns from Outer Space – these wacky weirdos will always have a place in our Halloween hearts!
Deep in the Chiltern Hills, a twisted array of man-made caverns is waiting for its next set of victims. Excavated in the 18th century by Francis Dashwood, a notorious rake and co-founder of the mysterious Hellfire Club, they stretch 300 feet underground and conjure up images of the rumoured dark rituals and hauntings within. Whilst usually a heritage site, on Halloween you’ll find the tunnels populated by a frightening variety of ghouls and devils. Our exploration had started!
The theme for this year’s most haunted attraction is the stuff of your nightmares – quite literally, for dreaming is the name of this depraved game. As we visited much later in the night, no queueing was required and we were immediately greeted by a most well-dressed and spirited poet who whisked us down into this otherworld. The passages were crammed with creatures who were not afraid to run up and get right in our faces, sometimes popping out from the most unexpected crannies.
Credit: Storefront City
One of the highlights of the Caves is the actors penchant for following close behind us between the segments, which meant that more often than not you looked over your shoulder and were greeted by continuing terror. Also, bear in mind that there is only one way in and out of the Caves, so if any of the creatures within particularly frighten you, you’ll need to face them again on the way back up! We’d highly recommend you visit at later times so that you can experience the haunt relatively alone – it was exceedingly creepy being locked in the central shrine festooned with eerie masks peering down upon us.
Credit: The Hellfire Caves
Final Thoughts: The caverns themselves are a huge part of the draw here, with the River Styx perfectly lit to accentuate the uncanny cast of the place. Coupled with a range of sinister actors, from deadly twins to an ominous dream catcher, and some giant and monstrous entities, Nightmare on Church Lane is spooky, fun, unique, and well worth a visit this Halloween.
For the past few years, Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights has been our number one scare attraction, so we were beyond excited to see what the haunt had in store for us this year. Dr. Fright’s is known for showcasing completely new mazes every single year, whether they are sequels to past ideas or novel concepts. But perhaps our best memory of this attraction is the perfect mixture of scare and fun they bring to the table – from dancing and laughing with Killer Clowns on a Spaceship, and being absolutely petrified at last year’s Yokai Temple. The actors at Dr. Fright’s are all volunteers, which is ridiculously surprising as they are some of the best scare actors in the UK, and Dr. Fright’s really knows how to set up their talent in the best ways to thrill…and kill!
Credit: Storefront City
Dr. Fright’s has certainly grown a bit this year, and their signage and branding is off the charts, with new theming covering all four sides of the mostly-covered event, a large branded map of the park, and a new merchandise stall selling shirts, keyrings, and even branded hot sauce. A hugely creepy nun followed us around, and various food and drink stalls peppered the space. They even have their themed horror bar where you can sit back and watch live scarecams, streaming the faces of terrified patrons from inside the mazes onto a large screen to add another layer of fun to the event. Whilst not as large as Hallowscream or Fear Avon, the level of thought and detail in the space and in each and every one of the haunts is second to none.
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
Grindhouse in Wonderland: A defunct fairytale village attraction deep in the Louisiana swamps, experience a blood soaked journey through a once magical land of enchantment. Welcome to your deadly never after!
As butchery is usually our least favourite concept, we went into Grindhouse in Wonderland first, and this is where the tongue-in-cheek fun started! Immediately in the queue and throughout the haunt we danced away to song after song of Disney-music-gone-wrong, and every which way we turned we had the most evil of fairytale creatures jumping out at us. These actors are not afraid to get right in your face, but they know exactly where they are in this horrific fairytale and aren’t afraid to have fun along the way.
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
Killer Clowns of the Caribbean:The notorious killer clowns have commandeered a popular pirate themed attraction, transforming it into the perfect venue for their latest killing contest!
We always leave the clown attraction for the last, as it’s usually the best on offer. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a large group of slower guests during this maze, so missed out on a majority of the scares, but we still thoroughly enjoyed all of the crazed pirates here. There was even a short segment of the maze which must have had at least five or six clowns coming at us from above, below, and pretty much everywhere one after the other – such good shock values, and all to the tune of ridiculous pirate shanties.
Credit: Storefront City
Monsters and Madmen: A reclusive millionaire has spent years building up a collection of live exhibits for his museum. Prepare to come face to face with the worlds most feared killers, creatures and demons that lurk around every corner!
This maze was by far the most heart-pounding scary maze we have attended this year, with the most petrifying of serial killers coming at us from all sides. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a werewolf in a haunted maze, and Dr. Fright’s not only brought a wolf, but also aliens from the X-Files, numerous characters from The Purge, and of course every single serial killer from every franchise you can think of. Another thing Dr Fright’s always does right is their ability to make you question what is real and what isn’t, and you’re never quite prepared for when the real killer comes out to get you! Hands down an amazing, terrifying maze that had our adrenaline spiked for the rest of the night.
Credit: Storefront City
House of Wax: Legend has it, the eccentric owner Madame La’trusse, owner of The House of Wax and condemned as a witch, still haunts the house, reanimating the twisted remains of her beloved wax works.
There is nothing more eerie and unsettling than that feeling one gets around waxworks. Lifelike, yet so totally dead, and yet…did we just see that finger move ever so slightly? This maze is packed with them, along with mannequins and dolls that do leave you wondering who’s going to attack you next (as is Dr. Fright’s speciality). Some brilliant effects meant we couldn’t be sure what was real (including simple objects like mirrors) and so fell prey to an array of scares that were cleverly hidden at first glance. And yes, we did scream!
Final Thoughts: Dr. Fright’s did not disappoint this year, and if the attraction had given us the opportunity to ‘top up’ and attend all the haunts twice, we certainly would have – we didn’t want to leave! We attended on a Sunday so the queues weren’t too bad, but fast track passes are always a great deal and a good idea. However, the ambience and soundtracks in the queues make the wait a ton of fun and worth it when you get to go into the attraction as individual groups, another exclusive element of Dr. Fright’s we really love. You’re guaranteed to experience the maze with you and your loved ones and friends and not with complete strangers, so it was just the two of us against these terrors, which made it all the more frightening. Dr. Fright’s is the best value for the best scares and laughs you’ll get, and we can’t recommend this place enough. It’s THE experience of the season!
As an accepted part of the holiday calendar Halloween still isn’t a universal phenomenon in the UK. Compared to the US, where many streets would be decked out in all their ghoulish finery, you’re unlikely to see intense theming of non-haunt attractions, places, and events. That’s why CaddO’Ween at Caddies Southend is such a spine-chillingly welcome surprise! Featuring two 9 hole courses of spooky fun, which you can both see and hear the spirit(s) of the season thanks to wackily crazy theming on literally every hole and a killer soundtrack, you’ll be well on your way to a gravely good time.
Credit: Storefront City
As soon as we walked into Caddies we were immediately transported to Halloweenland – with decor draped from every nook and cranny. Staff behind the bar poured drinks with painted faces, cobwebs hung from the ceiling, haunted paintings on the wall came to life, and terrifying dolls poked out from behind the register. While family friendly, the theming was spooky for all involved. We even took our cameras out to take a snap of the creepy serial killer mannequins, only to have them suddenly come to life and run at us – we had no idea they had roaming actors, and the Michael and Jason here proved to be perhaps the best roaming scare actors we’ve come across this Halloween season.
Credit: Storefront City
Taking our clubs and balls we then embarked on both courses at Caddies. Running side by side, each course has a slightly different difficulty and also has their own crazy and ridiculous shenanigans going on, from a celestial fortune-telling sausage (yup – you heard that right), to singing ghostly garbage bins, and perhaps the most laugh-attack inducing course in a chicken coop where all the chickens clucked in tune to popular Halloween songs. Trust us, there is nothing more ridiculous and memorable than trying to play putt-putt with chickens bawking away at an attempt at Thriller and Ghostbusters!
And this golf is truly crazy! Balls must be carefully meandered into place so that they activate the mysterious automatons within, including a Ferret Wheel, Imprisoned Zombies, and a pumping station that requires some quick thinking muscle power. What we truly appreciate here is that the theming is not an afterthought, it’s the main event and shows that Caddies goes above and beyond similar crazy golf venues.
Credit: Storefront City
Caddies has even more to offer to complement your adventurous golfing skills, including a treasure hunt and an eerie photo booth straight out of a horror film. One of our reviewers stepped inside the booth to snap a photo only to turn around and have the entrance completely blocked by Jason himself – who continued to harass us in the best way possible throughout the night, even miming for money after he gave us some golfing tips! Instead of forking over our wallets, we decided to treat ourselves to some creepy cocktails and themed food at the end of our adventure, including blood bag cocktails and some yummy pumpkin and cheese bites.
Credit: Storefront City
Final Thoughts: CaddO’Ween at Caddies is the perfect Halloween event for the whole spectrum of horror fans, whether fun or fright is your potion of choice. It’s also most welcomingly affordable, and when you throw in the fantastic spookiness of the entire course then you have yourself one of the funnest nights in town and unlike anything we’ve seen in the UK before.
It’s been some years since we’ve been to The London Bridge Experience and it appears that the space has undergone a complete and welcome transformation in the intervening years. At ground level, an extensive set of vaulted rooms comprise the Bermondsey Bierkeller, themed as a German-style drinking establishment, complete with long heavy-wood tables, party games, and surfeit flagons of ale.
Credit: Storefront City
The foyer for The Sickness is now a historical area with a set of pews. Once you’re ushered downward into the main event, the experience is a set of zones, based around the idea of Dr Natas’ psychiatric institution. Opened in 1939, this facility was said to conduct some fairly “experimental” treatments and it’s your task to escape both the dear doctor and the patients. Vignettes featured the doctor himself, a deranged surgeon (watch out for fluid spray!), the infamous Plague Doctor, and a rather naughty barmaid.
Credit: The London Bridge Experience
Then, it’s onto the Tombs proper for the true test of terror. While the upstairs part of the attraction are creepy theatrical experiences, the tombs are your classic haunt-style labyrinth. Winding passages and occasional blackouts make this chilling, and the actors are not afraid to get up close and personal with their prey. In fact, one of our editors was grabbed and forcefully pulled aside, so watch out!
Credit: The London Bridge Experience
In terms of storytelling, we felt that there was little connection between the overarching narrative and the terrors we encountered below. Yet, the brilliant, fun, and committed delivery by the actors meant we soon forgot this as we were dashing towards the exit. One fellow in front of us was so terrified as to collapse in a fit of nerves once he was safely back in the Bierkeller. And what better way to soothe your nerves than to have a drink at their new Monster Bar or have a go at one of the several games downstairs – we love us a bit of shuffleboard!
Credit: The London Bridge Experience
Final Thoughts: We attended this event as part of the press launch and took the tour with a large group of young influencers – as such we unfortunately spent the tour with a majority of the group talking when the actors were trying to speak, and also waving their phones about and filming the entire time. But while this certainly impacted upon our experience, we did try to make the most of this great event, and the actors did a great job in trying to control and interact with the kind of group we were in. All in all, it’s a super fun venture beneath the streets of London, and is definitely one of the scariest the city has. It offers the perfect group night out, with a solid 30-40 minute haunt followed by drinks, food, and games in a cozy and energy packed venue.
We were beyond excited this year to try a renowned scare attraction we’ve never attended before – Fear at Avon Valley Scream Park, which won at the 2022 ScareCon for Best Scream Park UK. Consisting of 5 scare attractions, an extra exorcism experience, a huge entertainment stage, and various carnival rides and food stalls, Fear presents a well-branded and fun scare festival atmosphere, one we’re so happy to have experienced this year!
Credit: Storefront City
Fear started the event off amazingly, with a simply done but fun entrance into the park. We went into the gaping mouth of a deranged clown and were spat out of a tunnel and into the festival grounds. Fear is unique from other events we’ve attended as they have a handful of characters throughout the park, the ‘Terrifying Titans’: a group of horrible clowns and creatures whose faces are all over the park’s branding and who come to life in front of you. You notice the extreme care and thought that went into the creation of this park, and how brilliantly threaded together all the characters and stories are. Not to mention the grand and energy-packed fire shows happening every hour or so and the totally creepy stilted scarecrows eying up their next victim – what a thrill!
Besides the five haunts, we participated in a new experience this year, The Exorcism, a short theatrical production of a priest’s attempt at an exorcism. This kind of reminded us of Le Theatre Noir at ScreamFest, but it was far better executed. We’re not sure the extra fee and the long wait were worth it for the short performance, but there were some really creepy effects and a lot of effort put in from the cast, not to mention a nice change from your usual maze-like haunts. Speaking of which…
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
X4: A complex series of tunnels were discovered deep underground during routine excavation work at site Alpha-Vixen One. Hidden deep within these tunnels, the discovery of a lifetime was made, altering the course of humanity.
Combining clinical and mutational horror, X4 delivered an amazing experience that threw us into unknown territories. Starting in a very convincing lift, science has gone terribly awry, which is clear from the vacant, robotic expressions of the staff you first encounter. Slowly, dizzyingly, you are led to new levels of disorientation, including a total smoke white out, all the while terrified from every direction by ghouls of this unwelcome place. With high immersion levels, this maze is impressively and continually horrifying.
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
Vita Nova: Omega Industries has initiated its quality of life programme, Vita Nova, restoring order to the Republic of England. Society will be reformed, it will be born anew. All non-conformers will be detected, and they will be ameliorated.
Vita Nova was one of our favourite mazes of the night. The most terrifying part was that each person must go through the maze alone – something we didn’t expect when parks usually bundle people in groups of 7-10! We entered an intake room with another group of people, but then one of the creepy actors pointed at us one at a time to go through the doors, and everything became very real. The actors in this were superb, and the maze’s tactics to keep people separate were terrific. This had so many fun elements, from being locked in an enclosed space with no clear way out, crawling spaces and sliding, and genuinely frightening smiles from all the cast. A great maze!
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
The Core: After the fall of the UK government and years of national civil unrest, the New World Order has risen and the Republic of England stands victorious. But a rebel alliance has formed, hiding on the edge of society. But unbeknownst to them, a far greater danger lies beneath their feet.
This was the most immersive maze we’ve ever been to. Upon entering the attraction we were instructed to don waders and put all our personal effects in a bag – ready to enter the sewers. Torch in hand, our group was submerged in a subterranean world quite literally underground, with water up to our knees and creatures behind every wall and vent. We didn’t find this maze too scary but some of our group-mates did – we were more in awe of the entire concept and just wanted to continue exploring despite the creatures lurking there!
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
House of Clowns: The circus has arrived, but murderous accusations have faced the troupe and the inhabitants will do whatever they can to get this house of clowns back on top. And they want you to be the star of the show.
We do love a good clown scare, and House of Clowns does the trick. With a pulsating soundtrack, extremely enthusiastic scare actors, and a confusing series of chambers, you’re likely to lose yourself in the madness of the big top if you’re not careful – especially due to the dazzling use of unexpected strobes. Now, this being said, clown mazes are almost de rigueur in the world of scares, so we’ve seen many of these effects before, meaning our initial shock is somewhat lessened. Nevertheless, clowns are bloody terrifying, and these are no exception.
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
Malefica:After being destroyed in a mysterious fire, a church is returned to its former glory. But something isn’t quite right; strange noises have been heard deep within the church, and volunteers claim to have seen something moving in the shadows.
We had high expectations for this haunt, having won a ScareCon award in 2022 and been nominated for several others. Granted, we were at the back of a very large group so we missed a lot of the best features and scares of this maze, so for us this wasn’t very hair-raising. The sets were detailed and we loved some of the rooms, and the acting again here was high quality. But we can’t help comparing this one with the similarly themed maze at Dr Fright’s from a few years ago, which was second to none, so while this was an enjoyable maze, it wasn’t our favourite of the night.
Final Thoughts: Fear at Avon Valley is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-executed, and downright scary experience that we loved. If you can, we’d highly suggest you purchase a Fast Track pass, as without this the wait times in line seemed to average 30-45 minutes (helpfully displayed on the main screen). Our only criticism would be to point out that the wait time for The Exorcism was quite long and risked eating into time spent in the mazes. With some of the most intense and creative scares available, if you’re into Halloween you need to get yourself over here right now!
Looking for a laid-back but adventurous night out in London? Look no further than ZSL London Zoo’s late-night experience for adults only. Take this amazing opportunity to unwind and explore the world’s oldest scientific zoo where the usual crowds and kids are replaced with a super chill atmosphere complete with a wide array of street food, music, pop-up bars, keeper talks, and fairy-lights galore.
ZSL London Zoo is massive and you’ll want to arrive early to experience it all. The world’s oldest (scientific) zoo established all the way back in 1828, the truly remarkable collection spans all the major continents and species, from ferocious lions, to tropical rainforest-dwellers, and even the tiniest of leaf-cutter ants. And you’re not just here for the animals: an array of other entertainments are on offer, including street food, cocktails, and live music. Once you have your drink in hand, why not take a wander and listen to the fascinating animals talks, including for more elusive creatures such as the mysterious Komodo dragon.
Credit: Storefront City Team
Upon entering the zoo, we were immediately presented with an array of choices, from animal talks to meeting the keepers, to a variety of entertainment options. While a majority of attractions we’ve been to lately have converted to a more digital lifestyle of QR codes and apps, ZSL London Zoo is still pretty old school, asking guests to take photos of the zoo map and programme. While we honestly do have issues with all the apps these days, we thought this way of navigating around the zoo by constantly referencing a photo on our phones was also a small annoyance, but we just decided to put our phones away and see where the zoo’s paths took us!
Perhaps a highlight for us was the sheer activity the animals were displaying. These crepuscular behaviours (twilight-activated) meant that the lions were roaring away, bats were ducking over us, and monkeys were more playful than we’d seen before. Aside from the animal antics, live performance pervaded the night, with an acoustic set in the since repurposed and historic Lubetkin Penguin Pool. If you’re even more adventurous, an upgrade is available to spend the night at the zoo amongst the plentiful wildlife in one of the lodges.
Credit: Storefront City Team
One of the only grievances we had at the zoo was the limited supply of free water throughout the park. We weren’t allowed any of our water bottles going in, and once we were inside the park we had to pay to fill our bottles with cold fizzy water — very strange. It wasn’t until a few hours into the event that we finally came across a free water fountain. Since we were there in the evening and only for a few hours this wasn’t a huge problem, but we can see this being difficult for those braving the odd London heatwave during the daytime while trekking hours through the park. However there’s always plenty of shelter — we got caught in a bit of a downpour but visited the indoor birds, nightlife, and creepy creatures exhibits while we waited it out!
Credit: Storefront City Team
Final Thoughts: It’s been awhile since we’ve been to a zoo, but we were constantly awed at how quiet everything was without the crowds and kids, and instead with the sights and sounds of nature fully immersing us all evening. If you want to come to the zoo and don’t have a child, this is the ultimate way of experiencing it, with very affordable tickets and a lovely atmosphere. And if you want to upgrade, you can add a private guided tour or even a champagne experience! After our evening with thousands of animals, we can’t see ourselves going back to a zoo any other way!
As fans of the creepy and macabre we firmly agree that Christmas is the perfect time of year for ghost stories in front of the fire. As such, we scoured London events for anything dark and sinister this holiday season, and lo and behold we came across The Fright Before Christmas, a one-night only unique horror storytelling experience.
Presented by Harpy Productions and Danse Macabre Productions, a half-dozen teams spun six new ten-minute terrifying tales in front of both an audience and a select group of judges. This was the first time we’ve been to The Space on the Isle of Dogs, located inside a former church. The set up for the production was quite sparse, with a tiny handful of props per performance and a few lights above the stage, but across the board all six pieces had remarkable sound and light design for what they had on hand. To tie in the night’s theme there were several small tables set up for the audience, all topped with festive decorations including holly and, of course, a skull.
Charismatic host Lady Aria Grey led the audience through the night, introducing each piece and then inviting thoughts from three horror judges at the end of each performance. The concept of having judges review the pieces was novel — we’d never attended an event like that. Yet we felt that while the role of a host was essential, the role of the judges was a bit ineffective. While interesting to hear their thoughts, it took the mood out of the night and in the long run could have done without them.
Credit: Storefront City Team
But let’s talk about the most important aspect of the night, the shows themselves! Writer Sarah Hamilton’s All I Want for Christmas…Is You started off the night right, telling the story of a woman alone in a house at Christmas when a stranger knocks on her door, asking for shelter from a storm. While we enjoyed the story and the twists and turns throughout, the sound design supporting the storm outside the house led to the downfall of the second half of the piece. With the sound so loud and the actors quite quiet, we couldn’t make out everything they said in the final few minutes of the play — exactly when it was quite clear that the twists were ramping up! In the end we turned to each other to see if the other understood what was said and what happened at the end, to no avail.
Next up was Jane Morris’s Eight Legs, Eight Arms. Exploring the very real threats women face on a daily basis, this piece framed its harrowing subject through the lens of an octopus, in a Cthulhu-esque twist that pitted eight-legged beings against each other (whether spiders or octopodes). Whilst intriguing conceptually, we felt the writing needed further polishing in order to truly reach its potential.
Credit: Storefront City Team
Moving back from the mouth of madness, Rachel O’Neill’s They Comes presents us with a couple who are not at all in agreement when it comes to the subject of having children. This crisis is precipitated by the traditionalist pushing of the husband’s grandmother — but gestation occurs (piecemeal) regardless of wishes. At times, the performance felt surprisingly ordinary, but this is not to detract from the rather unexpected (and unpleasant) climax.
Ben Whitehead’s The Sister Inside was our personal favourite of the night, and won second place after the audience and judge voting process. Approaching the stage covered in a white sheet and white top hat, Whitehead, performing the piece in addition to writing it, appeared a bit ridiculous, and his facial expressions interacted well to the audience’s reaction to his costume. Whitehead brought an amazing piece of Victorian storytelling in rhyming couplets, eliciting both laughs as well as horrifying silences. Whitehead is a seasoned performer and had us in the palm of his hand for the whole ten minutes with his tale of a woman living with her sibling writhing inside her. Whitehead also had to cope with a rowdy audience member interrupting his piece several times, and he did so masterfully.
Freddie Valdosta’s Flip the Switch (performed by Freddie Gilbraith and Oscar Koronka) was the night’s popular favourite — and chillingly so. A deeply disturbing portrait of the internal voice that is OCD, the tension is soon escalated to horrific heights, ending in a place that leaves one questioning the true nature of that “voice in your head”.
The final piece of the night was Rachel Bellman’s Tooting Bec Asylum, a story about a woman living on top of what used to be a morgue in an old hospital. The woman and her boyfriend start to see ghosts of the elderly and putrefying ghosts (and start ageing themselves). Oddly enough, we had that day rewatched the Tales from the Crypt episode Only Sin Deep — a bit of a coincidence! We appreciated such a traditional horror story, but with a rather predictable ending which we hoped would turn at some point, we don’t think this was the strongest of the night.
Final Thoughts: With anexcellent selection of well-staged and produced short plays, The Fright Before Christmas does not disappoint and has genres for all types of horror and ghost fans. Given the general lack of horror material in a theatre setting, it is most refreshing to see new works developed around it. It is worth noting that whilst billed as a 90 minute set of performances, the entire event stretched to over 120 minutes (with a 20 minute interval). Whilst fine by us, we think it might be challenging for scheduling purposes. That’s one whole lot of horror!
We posted a few days ago with a sneak peek rating of “Do It” for Festival of the Dead’s ‘Halloween Returns’ at Troxy. Now after having attended the event we’ve come back to tell you all about it. There are upcoming iterations in Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester: if you’re anywhere near you need to attend!
Europe’s biggest touring Halloween show started quite calmly, with some great music blasting out at the amazing Troxy venue, and a few surprising puppets on the dance floor coming out to invite everyone to start spinning the night away. Stilt-walkers and other amazing carnival elements came out of the woodwork to electrify the atmosphere with fun, togetherness, and yes a little devilish mayhem!
Credit: Festival of the Dead
Once the floor puppets and performers had had their fun it was time for the main event. The lights came down and the monstrous and beautiful contraption in the above photo came out onto the stage, Medusa’s snakes writhing around, manipulated by their talented puppeteers.
Then Huw Joseph joined — the event’s host who has headlined Festival of the Dead events since 2019. Part skeletal rock musician, park whimsical ring master, Huw Joseph is one of the best hosts we’ve seen perform, always keeping the energy up and knowing how to work the crowd.
While we didn’t keep a keen eye on our watches, there must have been two long sets to these performances, about an hour each with a 15 minute break between. And what did these sets consist of? One of the most fabulous and immersive carnival and puppet stage shows you could imagine with a gifted ensemble of performers creating absolute art with a nostalgic and electric rock metal soundtrack in the background.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
When you attend one of these performances you are promised a complete SHOW! From stunning aerial presentations to amazing fire displays and everything in-between, each moment in this over-two-hour spectacular was new, unexpected, and high-octane. We could tell the troupe cared so much about their art, and they invited the audience in to help them keep the energy and fun sizzling throughout.
We don’t want to ruin the whole show and many of its amazing surprises, but this review and the Festival of the Dead’s images give you a sense of how theatrical, stylish, and fun this party is. Part clubbing experience, part stage show, this happening is such a delight for the senses, and definitely one of the best Halloween parties we’ve ever attended in the UK.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
Final Thoughts: You’ve still got three chances to see Festival of the Dead’s ‘Halloween Returns’ at Forum Birmingham, Marble Factory Bristol, and BEC Arena Manchester, so go if you can! It’s truly an indescribable experience that must be lived to be understood. And, if you’re still in London, don’t forget Troxy’s two awesome upcoming events Skullrhythmics on the 29th October and Night of the Raving Dead. Both are sure to be a Hell of a good time!
P.S.: You’ve still got JUST enough time to hit up one more haunted event. See what we thought of Cursed Fright Nights.
