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!
Storefront City is back for Tullys Shocktober Fest!
We made sure for Tullys to be our finale Halloween haunt this year and we even brought some mates this time to experience it with us. It was definitely a fun event, but we have to admit we didn’t enjoy the haunts as much this year. The main problem? The batching. The batching was, not to mince words, horrific this year, and the queues completely crazy. We had a much different time than when we went in 2019. Despite arriving at opening, the queues were so long the entire night that we ended up missing three attractions this year!
But we’ll get into that rant a bit later. Let’s cover the good stuff first!
Tulleys Shocktober Fest is an absolute must to visit with a whopping TEN attractions — eight scare mazes, a haunted hayride and a twisted circus act, not to mention the amazing atmosphere surrounding the whole event. We may have gone at an interesting time (it was half term so the park was swarming with audiences much younger than us) but there was still an amazing spooky and exciting atmosphere with roaming characters, many bars, an astonishing variety of food, and rides and music stages. If it wasn’t giving us a theme park feeling in 2019 it was now — there was definitely not enough time in one night to do everything!
The Cellar Imprisoned Our Scare Factor: 3/10 Atmosphere Rating: 7/10
Storyline: Those that dwell in the Cellar have not been forgotten, they have been locked in.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We were smart to do this one first last time — we waited until the last second this year and were definitely in a group of 15, missing all the scares. We remember this to have been one of the best and scariest haunts at Tullys, which definitely made this year disappointing. But the haunt is still detailed, with different room sizes and a dark and dank feeling throughout that made it feel like a cellar. There was also a creepy toy room that had a great performer in it. We wish we could have enjoyed this haunt more!
We loved the glow in the dark 3D theming of this maze again this year, especially with its disorienting must-have tunnel and tons of crouching areas and play with space and depth. We enjoyed crawling up and down the steep areas and seeing the wandering eyes upon the walls that kept moving due to the 3D glasses. But, once again, we were in a huge batch, and we didn’t see a single character in full-clown-getup, just everyone with circus makeup. Except a cool jester — can’t forget him! The worst part of this event? The completely unsanitized and reused 3D glasses. Yuck.
Storyline: The year is 1998, after the explosion ripped through the world, bringing an end to civil life.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
Wasteland Penitentiary still has the best outdoor set design in the park, with the steampunk-esque metal designs huge and detailed and setting a statement when you head towards the haunt. This was a super lengthy labyrinth, with the prison theme throughout well reflected and a few good jumps. A very consistent maze that doesn’t seem to have changed since last time, but still does what it needs to.
The Island Our Scare Factor: 4/10 Atmosphere Rating: 10/10
Storyline: Something more than man. Something more than animal. An evil scientist’s creations are loose on The Island and they will protect what is theirs.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
According to Tulleys this maze was new for 2021, and while true it was a re-skin of their previous haunt The Wreckoning. But, instead of adventure and pirates we got evil beasts of every shape and size, with very creative takes on creatures everywhere we looked. And since the 2019 set design was a favourite of ours, it was again, with amazing details everywhere you looked. The length of this maze was astounding — we must have been in there at least 15 minutes if not 20, and felt like explorers the whole way. While not exactly scary, there were still tons of crazy elements, including spongy floors, fire, air compressors, and huge sets — definitely a maze not to miss.
The Chop Shop Our Scare Factor: 2/10 Atmosphere Rating: 2/10
Storyline: You better be careful now, Billy-Bob and Billy-Joe are real handy with a reconstruction.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We wish we would have skipped this one this year in favour of another we didn’t have time to see. Unchanged since 2019, this maze was not very creative, filled with blank walls and blood spatter. It was “turn left, turn right, chainsaw, rinse, repeat”. Quite short too, but we were happy to leave it.
Storyline: Explore the abandoned backlot at the Horrorwood Film Studios.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
Another unchanged maze but we still love this one. It may not be scary but it’s a ton of fun. They fit about 30–40 people on each tractor as they take you on a ride through Horrorwood Film Studios. There were a few jumps and loads of funny moments, with some great interactions with the actors. Was it worth queueing 80 minutes? We’re on the fence, but this is a unique experience at the park and we love-love-loved the creepy ending (we don’t want to completely spoil the surprise). The speaker system could do with a revamp (or at least a turn-up) if nothing else though!
The Village Coven of 13 Our Scare Factor: 5 or 6/10 Atmosphere Rating: 9/10
Storyline: A witch confirmed, tried and convicted; Death upon her was afflicted.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
This was another of our favourites last time, and it remains a favourite this year too! This is a lengthy maze which we appreciate, and every scene in the coven is different with a level of detail unrivalled at other scare attractions we’ve visited in the UK. There was a new final part of the room (or we don’t remember it) that we loved, especially the sensory detail. An absolute great and immersive haunt that will leave you reeling.
Circus of Horrors
Storyline: Blending horror and burlesque with bizarre and unbelievable acts performed to live rock music.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We didn’t attend this this year, instead using our final minutes on one the other haunts, but our two visiting friends enjoyed it and loved the mix aerial, burlesque, and horrific stunts.
Critique: We didn’t get to Hell-ements (a blindfolded rope maze) or the Creepy Cottage this year, since we ran out of time and tried to focus on seeing the mazes we know we loved in previous years. As mentioned before, we arrived at opening and stayed until we were kicked out but still missed out on so much this year due to the amount of people in the park.
Don’t get us wrong, we had an amazing time. The haunts have such a level of detail you don’t see elsewhere at smaller attractions in the UK and the atmosphere is electric. But we didn’t enjoy the haunts themselves as much this year. We’re used to going in groups of 6–8. But it wasn’t 6. It wasn’t 8. It wasn’t even 10 or 12.
15. We were batched in groups of 15 this year. And no, this wasn’t for the hayride, this was for every single haunt. The park was packed and we waited anywhere from 45–80 minutes for each attraction, so yes — batches any smaller than 15 and we wouldn’t have even been able to get more than two or three haunts in because the queues would have been even more outrageous. Nonetheless, with groups of 15 we somehow drew the short straw almost every haunt and were at the back, and missed out on the majority of scares in every, single, haunt. Such a pity. Whilst we freely admit it is total speculation, we suspect there was an effort to make up financially for losses incurred due to last year’s cancellation, with a much higher cap on the tickets sold. Even if it meant raising prices, fewer people per entrance slot would have added to the audience experience. Also, don’t think that Fast Pass will spare you the queuing — these lines were just as long.
Also, all the scare actors must have attended the exact same acting session. We were so tired after the first of couple haunts when every single actor makes the exact same unintelligible voices and then throws their hand in your face and withdraws. Yes, very scary, but not when every single actor does this exact same thing! Each haunt should have had mannerisms and sounds specific to the haunt, while in this case they all sounded and acted the exact same and it got a bit boring.
Final Thoughts: We’re harsh critics. If you love haunts, you should definitely attend Tullys. Will we attend next year? We’re not sure. If we’re free early on in their season and they’ve made a change or two in their attractions — definitely! But we won’t go this late in the season again if the queues and batching stay how they were this year.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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….
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.
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.
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!
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!
Gold Inlaid Canopic Coffinette of Tutankhamun Dedicated to Imseti (Protector of the Liver) and Isis. Credit: IMG
“At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold – everywhere the glint of gold.” – Howard Carter (Archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb)
Gold is timeless – untarnishable and everlasting. It is for this very reason that the ancient Egyptians crafted their most sacred and enduring objects from this rare substance, the surfaces communicating across time to us still in sparkling majesty. For Tutankhamun, the finely crafted statuary that adorned his tomb would function as vessels for immortality up to the present day. Beautifully and touchingly presented at the Saatchi Gallery in what is billed as their last great tour outside Egypt, these mementos of a life lived so removed from our own open up the secret, personal world of the boy King.
Wooden Guardian Statue of the Ka (soul) of the King Wearing the Nemes Headcloth. Credit: IMG
For those who have seen past iterations of travelling Tutankhamun exhibits, much of what is on display will be familiar: the canopic coffinette, a storage vessel for the embalmed organs of the King, has been emblazoned upon the literature of many of these blockbuster shows. And yet, new objects are carefully and helpfully marked, making the repeat visitor feel as if they are on a treasure hunt, discovering both old and new artifacts.
Whilst most people are attracted to the shining bullion all around them, important everyday items paint a different picture of the Pharaoh. In Tutankhamun’s reed “pen” case, we can imagine a young boy sitting down with his tutors and learning about what it takes to rule a mighty empire, whilst throwing sticks and bows attest to more leisurely (or warlike) pursuits. Undoubtedly, all these objects also carry ritualistic significance, but one could just as easily imagine them being used by the young Pharaoh.
To the seasoned scholar, this exhibition does have its drawbacks. A (paid) photo opportunity no doubt brings in much needed revenue, but somehow cheapens the overall experience. An epic video introduction, like much of the labelling, is high in floral language, weak on the facts. Speaking of facts, we spotted several misspellings and misunderstandings on the labels (a reference to the god “Atem”, which, in this context, should clearly have read “Aten,” the solar disc deity). To the ordinary visitor, these oversights might seem small, but to anyone knowledgeable of the period, they are most disappointing for such a well-designed exhibition.
Gilded Wooden Jackal-Headed Figure of Duamutef (Protector of the Stomach). Credit: IMG
The exhibition itself is laid out across multiple floors and with intricate vinyls perfectly framing objects in the black-box style rooms. It is true that due to this multi-level approach, you lose your immersion in the world of the tomb each time you progress to a new gallery, but this is not a major limitation.
Final Thoughts: As potentially the last time you will be able to see Tutankhamun’s “wonderful things” outside Egypt, this is a must for Egyptophiles of all ages. Even those with more knowledge of the subject will appreciate seeing familiar artifacts and some new ones. A glittering spectacle that will amaze all who gaze upon it.
P.S. The companion volume to this exhibition, Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb, by Dr. Zahi Hawass is breathtaking in its detail and completed with sumptuous photographs by Sandro Vannini. Simply stunning!
