Storefront City London

Archive for the category “Nightlife”

22 Oct 2021

Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights: World Tour

WHAT: Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights: World Tour
WHEN: 15 October — 31 October, 2021
WHERE: Whites Nurseries Limited (Clay Lane, Northampton UK, NN6 0EP)
PRICE: £17.95 — £34.95
OUTDOORS: Partly (Marquees)

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

One of our highlights of the year is visiting Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights, and this year was no different. Insane, fun, and chilling, Dr. Fright’s knows how to blend horror, immersive environments, and downright crazy genre combos that will leave you wishing you could go around a second time.

Entering the covered marquee area, you are greeted with the semblance of a small town, complete with themed zones, each appropriate to the attractions around them. Food and drink are available, including the renowned Horror Bar.

Time to grab our tickets and head to the jet, because this year Dr. Fright’s was going on a world tour!

The Grindhouse: Down in Mexico
Our Scare Factor: 3/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6/10

Storyline: Viva la Mexico! Our infamous family of cannibal hillbillies have escaped south of the border, but have no intention of stopping their murderous rampage! Can you escape Cousin Cletus’s chainsaw? Or will you become the meat in Mumma’s beef tacos?

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

The ridiculousness begins! By now our readers know we aren’t the biggest fans of the cannibal hillbilly mazes — it’s not a theme we find inspired or that much fun to play along to. But merge hillbillies with tacos and lucha libre as the 1950s rock song ‘Tequila’ by The Champs plays on loudspeaker and you’ve got yourself a riot of a time. Politically correct? No, but the theming was fun and the lucha libre section hilarious and disorienting to boot. There was huge enthusiasm from all the actors involved. While far from terrifying, this one definitely reminded us why we enjoy Dr. Fright’s themes so much — completely unique and super entertaining.

Yokai Temple
Our Scare Factor: 8/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9/10

Storyline: Yokai Temple has been rigged up with motion sensors, night vision cameras and EMF readers. They are all set and ready in the hopes of finally capturing evidence of the temple’s demonic residents…And it’s your job to draw them out!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

We might have been a little bit biased going into this haunt, as we are huge fans of Asian horror movies, so obviously we were very excited for this one. And boy did this meet our expectations! One thing Dr. Fright’s does so well in many of their mazes is use tons of inanimate objects that look the same in one small room — this way you don’t know what is real and what isn’t, and sometimes none of it is and the actors jump out of somewhere completely different!

The theming for this maze was so specific and every actor was completely in character and matching the different colour schemes and demonic creatures within each room. Many of the rooms were extremely disorientating (in a good, terrifying way), and there were concealed creatures in every nook and cranny, some in the most unique camouflage (we won’t ruin the surprises!), and some coming from directions you’d never expect. There were also terrifying and amazing uses of light, shadow, and projection. We exited the maze wanting to go back in right away!

Hollywood Horror: The Final Chapter
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6/10

Storyline: Our fan favourite maze is back, with all new terrifying scenes! Take a tour of Devilsgate Studios and experience a bone chilling trip through some of Hollywood’s most feared blockbusters!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

Hollywood Horror: The Final Chapter has definitely had a serious revamp since 2019 — which is fantastic! Outside of the maze, a Shining-like hotel facade stares back at you, with flickering projections that make you jump if you’re not ready for it.

Whilst the main theme is related to The Shining we also spotted a host of other movie mayhem monsters and moments, including Ghostface from Scream, Jason from Friday the 13th, and even one scene when we were plunged into the middle of The Purge. We felt there were a few less scares than we expected, but honestly we still jumped out of our skins at some points. And watch out for the chilling and ominous Michael Myers…he will find you!

Killer Clowns in Ibiza!
Our Scare Factor: 3/10
Atmosphere Rating: 7/10

Storyline: Grab your passports because we’re going to Ibiza! Of course, not all is as it seems…As you become prey in the latest killing competition amongst our resident Killer Clowns!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

We saved this maze until last because its predecessor was so pumping last time! As you line up (and believe us, the line for this one will take you a good 40 minutes) you’re in a terminal waiting to board your flight, along with pounding hits including (of course!) “We’re Going to Ibiza” (what’s not to love!). We won’t spoil it for you, but each zone within the maze is highly themed and absolutely mad.

We could have done with a tad notch up on the scare factor, and a few more actors in full clown costume rather than just a bit of makeup. Batching throughout the night had been stellar (we were completely isolated from other groups, which is good for safety and good for scares!), but somehow we got caught between two groups at the end of the maze and missed out on some scares. One of the most interesting scenes included swimming through a pool, but the light effects weren’t quite pulled off so you missed out on a lot of details above the waterline.

But what an ending to the evening! Terrifyingly good execution, dreadfully dastardly effects, and techno beats (wonder if clown house should be a new genre?)!

Final Thoughts: Both times we’ve gone to Dr. Fright’s we have gone away in awe of the mazes and laughing hysterically, and honestly both years it has provided some of our fondest memories. Last year it was the cinema room full of Scream serial killers and clowns clubbing with us to the tunes of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’. This year the full mazes themselves are bound to stay with us for awhile, particularly the terrifying and beautiful Yokai Temple and the ridiculousness of clowns in Ibiza. Will we ever get ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’ by Vengaboys out of our heads? Probably not, but it was worth it.

Go go go — go to Dr. Frights! You might wait longer in the queues later in the evening but you’ll be able to enjoy the high-quality and highly-themed attractions with the group you came with and you won’t know whether to laugh or scream. We can’t wait to go back next year!

P.S.: Love the immersion of Dr. Fright’s, but fancy an outdoor experience. Whatton House of Horror has got you covered!

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Nightlife, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , ,
20 Oct 2021

Festival of the Dead — Halloween Returns

WHAT: Festival of the Dead — Halloween Returns
WHEN: 23 October 2021
WHERE: Troxy (490 Commercial Rd, London E1 0HX)
PRICE: £32–45.20

OUR SNEAK PEEK RATING: Do It!

Credit: Festival of the Dead

You’ll find us first in the queue for anything horrific and whimsical, but unfortunately due to schedule conflicts we’ve not been able to attend a Festival of the Dead event while living in the UK. But this year we’re in for a treat and can finally make it to Europe’s biggest touring Halloween show!

This event promises to be extremely unique — a mashup of circus, clubbing, and carnival in an imaginative immersive setting with giant skeleton puppets, huge fire shows, and aerialist performers. Art and death collide in this surreal world of the spirits and creatures of the night.

Credit: Festival of the Dead

We’ve seen a lot of upcoming parties pair their event with garage or hip hop, but thank goodness this high octane night will bring rock, metal, and of course our favourite electronic and house music.

We’re equally excited to make our way to the Troxy again — having not been for a few years since a past Secret Cinema performance. We can’t wait to see this massive event space kitted out as a breathtaking carnival for the dead.

Credit: Festival of the Dead

A mix of hauntingly stylish and terrifyingly theatrical, this experiential clubbing phenomenon promises to be a night to remember, and we can’t wait to spend the night dancing with other lost souls in London’s Underworld.

Head on over here to get your tickets today and look out for our full review post event.

Posted in Do It!, Drink It!, Festivals, Music and Concerts, Nightlife, See It! and tagged , , , , ,
19 Oct 2021

Screamfest Resurrected

WHAT: Screamfest Resurrected
WHEN: 14 October — 31 October, 2021
WHERE: National Forest Adventure Farm (Tatenhill, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 9SJ)
PRICE: £22–28
OUTDOORS: Partly

OUR RATING: Skip It!

Credit: Screamfest

We knew we wanted to take a drive up to Leicestershire to see some of the many haunts the area has to offer. We chose to start our Halloween-month-of-mayhem off with Screamfest, a new one for Storefront City. While this did provide a somewhat entertaining night, unfortunately for us avid haunt-goers it was just a bit of a letdown.

The general ambience of Screamfest is a bit of fun — it’s got your usual large event space with quite a few food trucks, a music area, several hangout zones and some fun fair rides. We quite liked how it was all laid out. It did seem like the space welcomed a ton of people to sit down in between their experiences and have a fun pint (of Hobgoblin no less!), but the enchanting spell wasn’t quite strong enough to pull us in. Unfortunately, while there were some of the usual walkabout scare actors, they honestly weren’t very impressive or scary — we’re still a bit annoyed at the It impersonator — very committed in his role but just the simple addition of a clown collar would have been useful to show he wasn’t obviously wearing a mask….

Creed Farm
Our Scare Factor: 4/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6/10

Storyline: Creed Farm provides fresh meat of the highest quality. Come on down and experience the harvest for yourself.

Credit: Screamfest

This event is apparently new for 2021, and after going through all the haunts it was rather obvious — it did seem more fresh compared to several others. Now, that may just have been the fact that the haunt was completely based outside in their corn maze, but in reality this did in fact have a bit more effort put into the ambience, storytelling and costumes. The main evils were of course the scarecrows of the corn maze, and we definitely experienced a few jumps! There were also some really funny puns, and as always we appreciated the dichotomy of fun and terror.

The attraction did start off with a dark follow-the-rope experience for a few minutes, and while an actor did try to scare us during this, there was no usual attempt to entice the rest of our senses like in customary follow-the-rope attractions, which seemed like a grave lost opportunity. However, our main grievance with the rope part was that there was absolutely no hand sanitiser at the end, which really should have given us a hint of things to come with the park’s complete disregard to this being a supposedly post-pandemic event.

Hillbilly Joe’s Zombee Zoo
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6/10

Storyline: Come on down to the Zombee Zoo, the best day out in all the south! Have we got some sights for y’all. Zombee Zoo celebrates its 2nd anniversary…and we’ve only had 362 days worth of zombie disasters!

Credit: Screamfest

An incredibly unusual take on the zombie genre, this maze mixed its source material, combining traditional zombie apocalypse with the oddly pervasive fear of the Deep South. Be prepared for winding passages, lots of ducking, and oddly bizarre (and hilarious) costuming (including, for some reason, an eggplant).

The assortment of characters is downright strange and whilst not particularly scary, there is good attention to maze detail. A creative concept, some of the scares were definitely on the more fun side — and one is left quite sad for all the captured and helpless zombies that had been rounded up for our entertainment.

Le Theatre Noir
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere Rating: 4/10

Storyline: There’s no people like show people…until the coven takes over. Take your seats. The performance is about to begin.

Credit: Screamfest

Another new scare for Screamfest this year and it was painfully obvious! We absolutely loved this concept — we were so surprised we were in for a theatre in the round experience and, honestly, this was the only memorable event of the night. A completely different haunt, this time we were purely spectators sitting to watch a performance. There were some really fun effects and great light illusions, with amazing movement from some of the performers.

But in the end the concept was simplistic — we could have done with less sparks and more storytelling. We luckily had a good seat but with unraked seating and the scare actors mainly performing to the centre of the few middle people in the front row, most of the audience got left out, and in the end we were just left thinking, “That’s it? What was that?”

While standing in other haunt queues we heard similar reactions from patrons who were disappointed and confused by the experience. We really hope that Screamfest keeps the theatre in the round haunt with their attention to the light and water effects, but with perhaps more thought given to the immersive and storytelling experience.

Love Hurts
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere Rating: 4/10

Storyline: Welcome to the Diced Heart Pub. Owned by Professor Heart, he wants you to find his (well, actually your) soulmate at one of his famous speed dating nights. Just pray you’re not one of the rejected.

Credit: Screamfest

With very interesting theming and a novel concept, “Love Hurts” should have had you winning the dating game. With some engrossing effects, including slopes, ducks, and water with smells, the overall experience was made difficult by the enormous batch sizes that let to queueing within the haunt itself. In fact, more importantly, batch sizes proved an issue the entire night, with numbers far exceeding those of pre-pandemic times. Not only is this likely not particularly safe (no social distancing to be seen), but it makes the experience less intimate and places an undue strain on the actors. It is fantastic attractions have recovered so well, but thought must be given to audience experience as well as the bottom line.

An absorbing idea from the outside, one questions what the interior had to do with it. And unfortunately, the payoff at the end seemed slightly anticlimactic to us, with a commonly used effect that was a tad off for the theme of the maze.

Freakout on Tour
Our Scare Factor: 1/10
Atmosphere Rating: 3/10

Storyline: The funhouse was the first step…now experience Hell’s favourite attraction…on tour! It might be time to run away from the circus! Freakout is back but not as you know it…

Credit: Screamfest

Horror and clowns just seem to go together, so we were really excited for this one, especially as funhouse theming can lead to some serious scares through misdirection and illusion. When you enter, you are greeted by a set of several doors — does the choice effect your experience? We don’t know, but clearly the clowns were out for us at every corner.

We felt that, in truth, there were very few creepy clowns in this maze. At least one had a freaky feel about him and made us jump (a testament to a good scare actor and makeup), but the rest relied on saying “hello” loudly, which isn’t particularly scary. In terms of theming, in the main a hall of mirrors and red/white flaps were the extent of it.

Final Thoughts: If you’re a local and have a few nights to experience the haunts that Leicestershire and the surrounding area have to offer, then yes, absolutely go, you’re bound to have an entertaining time. However we think other attractions are more worth your time and money, and this one probably isn’t worth the multi-hour drive from London.

N.B. from Alicia: A day later and honestly the two most salient memories I have are of one uncomfortable sexual comment one of the in-haunt scare actors made to me, and then another similar comment one of the roaming “scare” policemen made to me, which I then ignored him for and because of this he said that it was no wonder I didn’t find a date at Love Hurts. Now, haunts aren’t normally completely politically correct and obviously come with their numerous problematic imitations of cultures, and both these comments were very tame, but I still just found them in poor taste, especially in the UK’s current climate regarding police and women.

P.S.: Looking for a different slightly more haunted experience nearby? Look no further than Whatton House of Horror.

Posted in Do It!, Nightlife, Outdoor Attractions, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , , , ,
18 Oct 2021

Whatton House of Horror

WHAT: Whatton House of Horror
WHEN: 10 October — 31 October, 2021
WHERE: Whatton House (Whatton Estate, Long Whatton, Loughborough, LE12 5BG)
PRICE: £17.85
OUTDOORS: Yes

OUR RATING: Do It!

Our Scare Factor: 7/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9/10

Credit: Whatton House of Horror

The Path to Purgatory awaits at an English country house and garden in the heart of Leicestershire. Designed by award winning scare attraction creators Area 51, this 40 minute, 1 mile walk through extensive and terrifying gardens is truly an immersive experience not to miss!

Alicia: Whatton House of Horror was a surprise find for us as we started planning our Halloween ventures. Knowing already that we’d like to attend one of Leicester’s more well-known multi-event haunts (this year it was Screamfest), we wanted to fit in another event with our long journey. Fate brought us to Whatton House — and who ever thought the road to Hell could be so much fun?

Upon arrival we were pleasantly greeted by many of the staff there — we were one of the last groups to arrive for the night and must admit we were really spoiled by that fact — we were able to attend just the two of us — smaller batches always intensify and improve the experience in our eyes. Provided a lantern to guide our way, we knocked on the gate to Purgatory and were tasked to walk amongst the inhabitants on the terrible journey to Hell.

Credit: Whatton House of Horror

Every so often on the journey we were met with a stunning vignette with a character attempting to entrap us in their world, and in between these mini-stories we were able to walk along the beautifully strange path wondering where the next creature would pop out and what would be in store for us next. Is that one of the many strange statues belonging to the garden estate, or were our eyes tricking us? Even though we were constantly on alert, these devilish creatures were always able to completely blindside and terrify us.

We don’t want to spoil the night for you, but ultimately this event started our Halloween season off with a bang. All of the characters were incredibly thought out and costumed — some with fabulous makeup (some, yes, could have done with a bit more), and all with absolute commitment to their craft. Thinking back, it’s actually incredible how many scenes were so memorable, with a lovely dose of humour to bring even more impact to the scares.

Adam: I can easily say that Whatton House of Horror is, in equal measure, entrancing, terrifying, and a spectacular piece of theatre. So often with haunts and scare parks, it is forgotten that narrative is at the heart of any good performance, instead sacrificing substance for cheap thrills. Nothing could be further from the truth at Whatton House of Horror, a spine-chilling road trodden side-by-side with spirit folk.

I do not wish to spoil the surprises along the way, but the dedication of the creative team to their craft is impressive, the realism of each encounter enhanced by the natural and eerily lit surroundings. Whether a sinner or saint, all are judged by an array of vicious (and sometimes humorous) creatures stalking the deadly night.

Before or after your adventure, an excellent array of goodies are available to fortify your spirit. Snobby Burger and the Wood Oven Pizza Company have kiosks, as well as abundant ice cream and seriously creepy cocktails. Just make sure you always look behind you — you never know who (or, indeed, what) might be following close behind.

Credit: Whatton House of Horror

Final Thoughts: Eversy theatrical event nowadays brands itself as site-specific or immersive, just words to put on some marketing material and some decorations strewn about. Whatton House of Horror was truly an immersive event that knocked it out of the park when utilizing the space around them. From ponds to statue gardens, Hell’s inhabitants were at home here, and we could tell the creators of this event really cared. This is a Halloween event not to miss, and completely worth the journey out to Leicestershire if you’re not local!

P.S.: We’ve got plenty of Halloween reviews coming, so keep your eyes open — next up: Screamfest!

Posted in Do It!, Nightlife, Outdoor Attractions, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , , , , ,
14 Oct 2021

Hope & Anchor

WHAT: Hope & Anchor
WHERE: 123 Acre Lane, Brixton, London, SW2 5UA
PRICE: Entrées £7–14, Draft Pint £5.30–6.50, Cocktails £10
OUTDOORS: Yes

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Hope & Anchor

It’s been awhile, we know, but after a year-long hiatus the Storefront City team is back in action and making the most of life. We’ll be honest: it’s been super hard to stay indoors all this time and we were itching to get back out into the big wide world and share our latest and greatest experiences with you. To that end, and to highlight venues that are a tad bit safer pandemic-wise, we’ve created a new rating category above showcasing whether the adventure reviewed is outdoors. We hope that this will give you the confidence to dive back in and explore new locations where you’ll feel safer.

For our first foray we hit up the Hope & Anchor in Brixton, a beautiful cocktail bar complete with an opulent garden dripping with style. Hammocks, private cabins, and neon accents create a stunning environment to grab a few drinks and soak up a warm evening with friends.

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Adam: Whilst the name might make you think this is a run-of-the-mill pub, the Hope & Anchor (indeed established as a pub in 1815) is most certainly NOT your grandfather’s pub. After ducking through the indoor area, you are greeted by an array of leafy trees, festooned in twinkling lights. To top this off, you can opt to sit in one of the many cabanas that dot the perimeter, creating your own oasis of privacy and yet still benefiting from the trendy vibe of those around you.

Ordering is easy tableside via the app, although we’d recommend you download this beforehand to avoid the hassle of signing up there and then. I opted for a pint of refreshing Beavertown Neck Oil, a Session IPA that matched the light and airy feel of the evening. Bracing and bursting with taste, this is a citrus-hoppy beer with a somewhat flowery aspect that I would definitely recommend. A perfect complement to a perfect night.

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Alicia: The Hope & Anchor seems like such a small and stuffy mini-pub when you first walk in the door, until you start getting into their backyard and suddenly you’re in a Wonderland. I’m such a sucker for unique outdoor dining experiences that give you fun lights and set elements to look at when you’re in the midst of a refreshing pint. I went for my go-to Guinness as the options for drinks were quite minimal — only Aperol Spritz and espresso martinis were available out of anything on offer, so if you’re a cocktail person this probably isn’t the place for you.

Unfortunately, I can’t say this is the best place for dining either — we splurged on some loaded fries that sounded good on paper: slow cooked ox cheek, plum ketchup, soy yoghurt, jalapeños. Alas, the fries were a bit cold and definitely mushy, albeit flavourful. We weren’t impressed enough by the chips to go in for some more food — it just didn’t seem like the kind of pub to offer some really great meals, but we were more than happy to drink up and enjoy the ambience instead!

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Final Thoughts: Brixton has a few lovely outdoor pubs, but we’ve got to admit the Hope & Anchor is one of the more fun-for-the-eyes spots. Definitely a go-to for an after-dinner pint. Weather is obviously an important factor if you’re enjoying an outdoor beer garden, so go now if the sun is shining or the night is warm and get cozy in some beach huts under twinkling lights.

PS: Enjoy outdoor drinking with intricate theming? Don’t miss the rooftop bar at Queen of Hoxton!

Posted in Do It!, Drink It!, Eat It!, Nightlife and tagged , , , ,
20 Nov 2019

The Emerald City Rooftop Bar

WHAT: The Emerald City Rooftop Bar
WHEN: 24 October 2019 – May 2020 (4:00pm on)
WHERE: Queen of Hoxton (1 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3JX)
PRICE: Free Entry

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

Travel down the yellow brick road to The Queen of Hoxton’s newest rooftop retreat – a cozy winter escape and hidden bar far far away from Kansas. We had the fortunate opportunity to attend this immersive event’s launch a few weeks ago, but luckily for our readers this emerald realm is open for free all the way to May 2020.

After entering the venue we climbed the themed yellow brick road all the way to the rooftop, where we were met with a snug and spellbinding viridescent hideout with Dorothy’s house dropped upon the evil witch herself all inside QoH’s famous rooftop WigWam. Afterwards, we found ourselves in the outdoor and bar spaces, complete with fire pits, beautiful lights, and entertaining roaming witch characters.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

We immediately headed to the bar area, excited to try some hot alcoholic drinks to keep the cold away. For those less adventurous the venue offers familiar drinks – pumpkin spiced mulled cider and mulled berry wine, both of which can be spiked with additional liquor. We instead opted to try two of their spiked hot chocolates. While we were slightly underwhelmed by their Bad *itch Hot Chocolate (dark hot chocolate, chocolate liqueur, activated charcoal), we thought the Wicked Hot Chocolate (white hot chocolate, chocolate liqueur, matcha powder) was a unique and very smooth drink. Our favourite drink, by far, was the hot buttered rum (mulled with cinnamon, peppercorns, butter, rum, and fudge), which we had a really hard time not ordering again and again. Just thinking about it gives us fond warm memories!

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

If hot alcoholic drinks aren’t your thing (what??), they also serve up some cold green drinks, such as the Green Lady (egg white, gin, lemon, orange liqueur) and the Emerald Bellini (vodka, passion fruit, orange, Prosecco, salted caramel and popping candy rim). We weren’t a huge fan of the latter drink, but thought the fun and flavourful rim was well worth it.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

We also tried some of the Kansas-inspired food QoH had to offer, including meat and vegan burgers with black charcoal buns, and beef or pumpkin pot roasts with collard greens & cornbread. We weren’t overly impressed with the burgers and chips, but thought the pot roasts were quite yummy and perfect for a cold night, albeit a bit pricey.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

For the remainder of this Autumn/Winter, QoH will be celebrating the season of the witch with a variety of free events on this emerald rooftop, including witch academy classes, feminist witch storytelling, a winter witch craft market, and green eco-events such as pickling workshops and a clothes swap.

Final Thoughts: We can’t wait to return to The Emerald City with some mates and sit down in the gorgeous green glen of their WigWam sipping mug after mug of hot buttered rum. We might skip the food this time, but for a free immersive bar experience, this is sure to keep you warm this winter. And don’t forget to get some of their marshmallows to toast over their open fire pits – a nostalgic and perfect addition to your night out.

P.S. For better burgers, head over to The Old Bengal Bar for some fun and juicy ones!

Posted in Do It!, Drink It!, Eat It!, Nightlife and tagged , , , ,
06 Nov 2019

London Halloween Parties 2019

In addition to the many haunted attractions we attended this Halloween season, we also let our hair down for a few nights and attended some of London’s most unique Halloween parties. Obviously there were dozens upon dozens of events this year, but here are our thoughts on a few to get some ideas on what to visit next season, as we’re sure they’ll return with a vengeance in 2020!

Credit: The Mansion London

WHAT: Halloween Ball at the Mansion
WHEN: 26 October, 2019 (9:00pm – 4:00am)
WHERE: Loft Studios
PRICE: £24-150

OUR RATING: Chance It!

Perhaps the most chic event we attended, the Halloween Ball was definitely a very artsy and multi-layered event. Guests did not take the fancy dress requirement lightly – we saw the best costumes this year here and literally every single patron put at least a bit of work into them, which made it a great participative event.

The most memorable aspect of this event was the macabre art exhibition by Y. Wildi, with amazing handcrafted skeletons around the rooms in a creepy and beautiful setup. We also enjoyed the free tarot reader, a photobooth and some yummy food, including the all-essential candy floss. We were also super thankful that there were three different dance floors so that we could select which ones fit our fancy: pop/mainstream, electro and Latino. The electro was even visited by sax player Tolik and djembe player Paolo Forcellati – some really great music!

Artwork by Y. Wildi

There were, however, quite a few letdowns at this event. The marketing promised fire shows, cage dancers, a Beelzebuth walking performance and a real backyard graveyard, none of which we saw no matter how many trips we took walking around the entire event space to find them. Admittedly, we didn’t stay the entire night, but after staying for four hours one would think we’d see at least some of the elements we were promised. Overall, however, it was something we’d go to again if some of these elements were better incorporated into next year’s event.

Credit: Apocalypse Events

WHAT: Carnivale: The Dark and the Damned
WHEN: 31 October – 2 November, 2019
WHERE: Bunker 51 (3 Herringham Road, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE7 8NJ)
PRICE: £5-30

OUR RATING: Chance It!

There were so many options for events to attend on Halloween itself, but, in the end, we chose an event that was a bit more local to us, had the perfect carnival theme and, most importantly, promised two scare mazes as part of the entertainment! We couldn’t resist.

The large underground nuclear bunker where this event was hosted was really an amazing space – we’d love to produce something there ourselves! The space was very fun, allowing guests to wander through a series of small carnival games, such as basket toss, hook a duck and Zolda – these came at a small extra fee, but if you won you got a drink ticket, so very worth it for the prizes and fun of it all. The best part of the event, hands down, were the mazes, which completely went above and beyond our expectations. The first maze, Freakshow, took us up and down and all around through the lost souls of the carnival, requiring us to crawl, climb, and squeeze our way out through the natural architecture of the bunker’s smaller spaces. Send in the Clowns was an amazing amount of fun and used a ton of gimmicks we hadn’t even seen in any of the professional mazes we attended prior to this. Unforgettable moments included a crazy clown on a zip wire, a balloon room, and even a slide!

However, there were a few aspects we weren’t too happy about this night – the event opened almost an hour late and the music was not very good whatsoever (and with only one dance floor we couldn’t explore any other options). This may not have been the best choice to celebrate Halloween night itself, but if Apocalypse Events put their heads into a more professional maze attraction we would definitely be first in the queue!

Credit: The Clapham Grand

WHAT: Twisted Circus Halloween Festival
WHEN: 1 November, 2019 (10:30pm – 3:00am)
WHERE: The Clapham Grand (21-25, The Clapham Grand, St John’s Hill, London, SW11 1TT)

OUR RATING: Skip It!

Twisted Circus returned for its sixth year with death-defying acts, crazy characters and a raveyard dance floor. We attended this party after another event at The Clapham Grand so were able to stick around to witness this sold-out happening. Loyal readers to SFC might know that we aren’t the most keen guests for ‘twisted’ acts such as sword swallowing, wax pouring, and body stapling – all which were front and centre at this event. The performers were really into their acts and involved with the guests, which we definitely appreciated. We also enjoyed some (but not most) of the music, especially the remixes of popular scary songs, fun circus snacks, and a really sweet clown stilt walker.

Credit: The Clapham Grand

Ultimately, however, we felt really let down by the event, having thought that the acts would be a bit more immersed in the event itself. Worst of all, the MC was absolutely atrocious, constantly making terrible rapping attempts and, worst yet, horribly sexist and inappropriate comments about all of the female circus performers. We finally got sick of all the disgusting and unnecessary harassing commentary and dreadful MC-ing and left the party early. We’d go back to The Grand, but not for this event!

Final Thoughts: There were so many options for Halloween parties this year, and to be honest, we’ll probably try a completely different batch next year. However, we’ll definitely keep a look out at all events hosted by The Mansion, Apocalypse Events, and The Clapham Grand, because while none of the events were perfect, we did enjoy ourselves a bit at each, and we’d like to see what they have in store next!

P.S.: We actually attended The Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Clapham Grand the same night as the Twisted Circus party, so stay tuned for that review coming soon!

Posted in Do It!, Nightlife and tagged , , ,
21 Oct 2019

The Mansion Halloween Ball

WHAT: The Mansion Halloween Ball
WHEN: 26 October, 2019 (9pm-3am)
WHERE: Secret Location
PRICE: £24-150

OUR SNEAK PEEK RATING: Do It!

Credit: The Mansion London

As the nights darken and autumn breezes chill the bone, an array of ghoulish events present themselves to adorn your ever-filling nocturnal calendar. There are haunted houses, hayrides, and your more typical club nights. And then there’s the Halloween Ball, devilishly conceived by the exquisite minds at The Mansion London.

The location is top secret until 48 hours beforehand, but given the extravagance of The Mansion London’s previous events, we’re sure that it will be suitably one of a kind. With three dance floors, an art room, two lounges, and VIP areas, this is one huge setup! Each dance floor will feature a different genre of music, including chart toppers, house, electro, and Latin from the likes of DJ Amin Sane, DJ Fabrizia, and DJ Carlitos, whilst live musicians on sax and djembe will make this experience truly unique.

Credit: The Mansion London

What sets the Halloween Ball apart from other events though is the sheer variety of unique entertainment throughout the space. Live fire shows, a seriously spooky graveyard, a ravenous werewolf, a mysterious clairvoyant ready to read your destiny…the list of acts is endless!

Credit: The Mansion London

Get dressed up for this one – fancy dress is mandatory and there’s a chance to win flights to New York for the best costume. And, of course, no costume would be complete without a nightmarish makeover, with makeup artists on hand to give you that final spooky touch.

Watch this space for our upcoming full review after the event!

Posted in Do It!, Drink It!, Nightlife and tagged , , , ,
20 Oct 2019

Hallowscream

WHAT: Hallowscream
WHEN: 11 October – 2 November, 2019
WHERE: York Maze (Elvington Lane, York, YO19 5LT)
PRICE: £22-40

OUR RATING: Do It!

There’s no doubt about it: London seems to have it all. But, it’s a common mistake of Londoners not to venture beyond the city limits and miss out on all that the country as a whole has to offer. This Halloween, we’re travelling north to York Maze and the award-winning Hallowscream, an entire park dedicated to this dark season. With a thrilling and chilling five mazes, ample food and drink options, and spooky surroundings, if Halloween is your thing then Hallowscream is THE place to be.

As soon as you line up to enter the park, you know you’re in for a scream. Watch out – monstrous characters stalk the waiting area and aren’t afraid to spot a scared victim amongst the crowd. Soon after being admitted, you are given a primer on all things Hallowscream by a most unusual character. We won’t spoil it for you, but the level of technical expertise (which we’ve only ever seen in the US before) immediately sets Hallowscream apart from the competition. After being rapidly spewed out into the park, the terror begins….

The Singularity
Our Scare Factor: 6/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Storyline: A scientist creates a human/robot hybrid, hoping to bring peace before the world becomes broken in a war between robots and humans.

What a way to start the night! The details and the set for this maze were so astoundingly unique – lasers, distinct zones, and plenty of hidden corners. The makeup/prosthetics for the androids was amazing and the acting was superb. It’s immediately apparent that a great deal of effort has been put into narrative – something sorely lacking from other mazes we’ve been to – and to see such dedication to storyline bridges the gap between a simple horror maze and a fully immersive experience.

2078
Our Scare Factor: 7/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Storyline: The scientist we learned about during The Singularity makes a return, but this time shows us a future of a “post-Trump” nuclear apocalypse were society has broken down and everyone has become sick with radiation poisoning.

This maze was again completely immersive, moving from a science fiction time machine to a creepy corn field and finally to a world when Trump takes over everything – yes even the NHS – and society crumbles. There were really unique water and fire elements on top of more great acting. The tension ramped up as we traveled through an infected world towards possible decontamination – the only question was could we make it?

The Flesh Pot
Our Scare Factor: 4/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Storyline: A butcher slaughters the drunks and whores of York, skinning them alive, selling their joints in his shop, and blending the rest of the bits into his pies.

Your typical maze and story, and very similar in concept to many other mazes around the country. The makeup, yet again, was fantastic and the characters had consistent elements that helped create the world around us, but it was a bit one-noted compared to the other mazes we had just experienced.

Corny’s Cornevil
Our Scare Factor: 7.5/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Storyline: Corny, the famous circus clown who was killed by the butcher from The Flesh Pot, haunts his twisted and sinister house of fun.

Not only does this rival Tulleys great 3D circus maze, it probably beats it. You begin the maze as one should – with a hall of mirrors and continuing into almost every sort of funhouse element you can think of. There were interactive moving floors, endless optical illusion rooms – we weren’t sure which way was up or down or more importantly – out! The actors in this maze were particularly great, knowing exactly what movements make creepy characters, especially clowns, work in an experience like this.

Barnageddon 3D
Our Scare Factor: 3/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Storyline: An industrial accident plunged the brave workmen of Dunnington Lodge into an underground chasm, where they now work on into eternity.

We were really looking forward to this maze as it’s on all the ‘best maze’ lists we’ve been reading while making our plans on what to visit and review this Halloween. There were fun 3D glasses, but we were a bit confused at what the theme in this was, and the acting, makeup, costumes and set pieces just weren’t on a par with the other mazes. There were some redeeming elements, however, such as the first toilet room (look out for that smell!), a great water element, and some really creepy masks towards the end!

Final Thoughts: Not only are Hallowscream’s mazes truly thrilling, but the atmosphere around the entire event, from the queue and food stall theming, to the quirky horror inspired fairground games, fully immerses you in the spirit of the season. The best Halloween event we’ve experienced in the UK by far!

P.S.: Need another haunt for the Halloween season? Check out our review of Tulleys Shocktober Fest.

*All images credit York Maze

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Nightlife, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , ,
01 Mar 2014

London, Underground

vaults2WHAT: London, Underground
WHEN: February 28 & March 1, 2014 (10:30pm-3am)
WHERE: The Vaults, Waterloo (Leake Street, SE1 7NN)
WHO: The nabokov Arts Club
PRICE: £15 (Advance) – £18 (Door)

OUR RATING: Do It!

vaults1

Welcome to VAULT, a six week festival of arts and entertainment (Jan 28 – Mar 8) produced by the Heritage Arts Company in the labyrinth of tunnels and caverns underneath Waterloo Station. And then there’s Vault LATES, late night events Thu-Sat that vary anywhere from silent discos to burlesque debauchery and even some Mardi Gras celebrations.

Storefront City helped The nabokov Arts Club celebrate their 5th Birthday at VAULT Festival last night at London, Underground, a two-night extravaganza of live art. You can celebrate too if you get down underground tonight beneath Waterloo Station. It’s time to explore!

Adam: Lights string into the depths of the passageways that make up the vast edifice which is The Vaults. Striking out into the the chaotic milieu of plays, live music and revellers, its easy to get lost in the fantasy world beneath the concrete of London’s streets. Alternative, yet not threatening, London, Underground provided a veritable playground for the artistic spirit within all of us. The heads of Guardsmen with neon skin tones give you a royal honour guard whenever you walk the main hall, whilst innumerable clouds waft overhead in The Light Bar. Smaller venue alcoves line the tunnel, so go ahead and take your pick!

2014-03-01 01.13.27Starting with “The Pit”, the first alcove to your left upon entry, I was delighted to be treated to two plays. First up was Plums by Luke Barnes, which brings you the story of two lovers whose hidden secrets are both touching and disturbing. This was followed up by This Isn’t A Thing, Right by Lolly Jones, a tale of sexual comfortability, longing and luck. While very well received by the audience (Lolly Jones is currently a viral video star), I didn’t connect with the piece as well as I would have liked.

Unfortunately, we missed the headline act, 3RUN vs Bellatrix, an immersive free running and beatbox experience, which was very disappointing. This is due mainly to signage within The Vaults, which was few and far between, with Storefront City only discovering the small runsheet once the headline performance was over. Perhaps this is in keeping with The Vaults eclectic and immersive styling, but further signage and direction in future would be helpful.

King Porter Stomp

King Porter Stomp

Alicia: Live theatre, music, cabaret, comedy, poetry and visual art explode underground, all mashed together in an extreme balance of intimate performance and all-out party. If you don’t feel like sitting down and watching one of the many live performances and instead want to take advantage of a wild and crazy weekend night, enter The Light Bar for all your live music needs. Earlier on in the night you can get low with Dizraeli & Downlow’s hip-hop set, or later you can experience live funk, ska, dub and hip hop from King Porter Stomp, an 8 piece blend of horns, heavy bass and lyrics. As the night goes on and the party gets kicking, the whole venue sets its sights on the last act of the night, a DJ set by the Mystery Jets.

Yet the highlight of the night was Symphony, a collaboration with new writing company nabokov and playwrights Ella Hickson, Nick Payne and Tom Wells, which has been playing in The Vaults since Feb 18. Theatre meets live gig in The Cage with 3 short plays, a mix of stories told through music and spoken word, directed by Joe Murphy with music by Ed Gaughan, and with amazingly talented performances by Remy Beasley, Jack Brown, Iddon Jones and Adam Sopp.

Symphony

Symphony

The format is unique, yet inviting, with the audience ushered into a room of musicians. But when the door closes behind you, the simple gig transforms a fusion of plays and songs, an electric synthesis of mediums that mimics the varied talents and fluctuating roles of the four performers. We were drawn into all three of their pieces on the night (one of the reasons we missed out on 3RUN  and Bellatrix), including Jonesy by Tom Wells (a tumultuous and hilarious vignette of an asthmatic teenage boy in P.E.), A Love Song for the People of London by Ella Hickson (a tale of unrequited love and awkward meetings on public transport) and My Thoughts On Leaving You by Nick Payne (a story of relationships and mistakes, with the requisite amount of alcoholic declarations of love, sombreros and bathroom stall hookups). If I wouldn’t have known the background to the performance, I would have assumed this quartet had always been an ensemble and that the pieces were all created by them. The sets were amazingly cohesive, and the performances both charming and intoxicating.

Final Thoughts: Awesome venue? Check! Live arts? Check! Fantastic night? Double Check! London, Underground is just the kind of event the city needs more of, so get there before it closes so you can be part of the experience.

P.S. Can’t make London, Underground? Or perhaps the ticket price is a little steep for you? Not to worry! Tickets to other shows are as little as £7.50, and you can even stop by Tuesday and Wednesday nights for free live music and comedy.

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