Storefront City London

Archive for the tag “Haunted”

01 Nov 2021

Tulleys Shocktober Fest 2021

WHAT: Tullys Shocktober Fest
WHEN: 1 October — 6 November, 2021
WHERE: Tulleys Farm (Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 4PE)
PRICE: £14–129

OUR RATING: Chance It!

Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group

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!

Twisted Clowns
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere Rating: 7/10

Storyline: The Greatest Show not of this Earth…

Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group

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.

Wastelands Penitentiary
Our Scare Factor: 6/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6/10

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.

Horrorwood Haunted Hayride
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere Rating: 6 or 7/10

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.

P.S.: It’s not a haunt, but it is certainly haunting! You’ve got just enough time to check out Festival of the Dead — Halloween Returns.

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Outdoor Attractions, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , , , , , ,
29 Oct 2021

Festival of the Dead — Halloween Returns

WHAT: Festival of the Dead — Halloween Returns
WHEN: Multiple Dates throughout the UK
WHERE: Various (most recently at Troxy)
PRICE: Varies by event, London events was £32–45.20

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Festival of the Dead

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.

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Music and Concerts, Nightlife, Performing Arts, 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 , , , , , , ,
25 Oct 2019

Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights

WHAT: Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights
WHEN: 17 October – 2 November, 2019
WHERE: White Nurseries (Clay Lane, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire, NN6 0EP)
PRICE: £16.95-33.95

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

Welcome to HorrorTown – an indoor township of terror buzzing with four scare attractions, a food stall, a bar, and an electric atmosphere uniting them all. This haunt promised to be a mix of fun and fear – and boy was it! There was such a great feeling to this place, and while there were a few patrons that threatened to ruin the experience for us (shrieking children and drunk adults), we definitely soaked up the Halloween atmosphere at this scream park’s 10th anniversary.

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

There’s Something in the Woods
Our Scare Factor: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Storyline: Take a harrowing journey through the dense, dark woods that surround St. Agatha’s boarding school. Discover the terrifying presence possessing the nuns and students that live there. 

This maze was a great start to our evening – we trekked through ‘the woods’ and ended up at a creepy Catholic school, with real scares along the way. There were some significant jump scares and so many parts where we didn’t know where the actors were appearing from. The best moments were when we questioned which bodies and shadows were real and what were just props, with all aspects having a great sense of timing and an amazing grasp of light versus dark. It will take us a while to forget terrifying screaming nuns!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

Hollywood Horror: Director’s Cut
Our Scare Factor: 6/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Storyline: It’s time for you to take a trip through some of the most iconic moments in horror cinema.

It was so much fun to see classic monsters from the cinema – creatures from scary movies of our childhood – returning in front of our very eyes. There were some wonderful interactions between music from the films and the characters themselves. Iconic moments included reliving the movie house scene in Scream and some really disturbing mimicked laughing from Pennywise the Clown. Super sinister!

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

Redneck Redemption
Our Scare Factor: 2/10
Atmosphere: 4/10

Storyline: Mumma Beef’s gang has evaded capture and taken up residence in an abandoned mining town. Encounter murderous, blood fueled hillbillies on a rip rollicking journey.

We are so surprised that this maze lives in the same attraction as the three other great mazes, as this one was a severe let down. Unlike the others, this maze was very open and bright, and we could see all the other guests moving around us as well as many scenes and…hillbillies…coming up – which meant that nothing was a surprise to us, not to mention the extreme cliche of the entire theme.

Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd

Killer Clowns on a Spaceship
Our Scare Factor: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Storyline: The killer clowns are back! And this time they have gone intergalactic! All you need to know is they want you dead. So your mission is simple… escape!

With the absurd movie an inspiration for this maze we expected it to be a bit bizarre and fun – and indeed it was! The labyrinth certainly wasn’t your typical clown and fun house theme, but rather a few clowns meets ridiculous sci–fi equipment meets … techno music! There was an amazingly effective use of strobe lights in this haunt, as they turned down the frequency of strobes and thus aided actors in moving about in surprising and intimidating ways. With the nature of the maze and the fun music playing on the speakers, we ended up in quite a hilarious mood in this one, dancing during the drop to Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’ in order to get past a crazy clown – definitely a memorable moment!

Final Thoughts: With an awesome mix of chills, laughs, and totally mad theming and characters, Dr. Fright’s is completely different from anything else out there. Now running for 10 seasons, this is one horror series you can’t afford to miss.

P.S.: Need another haunt to get your blood pumping? Try Hallowscream at York Maze for some more terrifying encounters.

Posted in Do It!, See It! and tagged , , , ,
24 Oct 2019

Cursed Presents Fright Fest 2019

WHAT: Cursed Presents Fright Fest 2019
WHEN: 17 October – 2 November, 2019
WHERE: Wat Tyler Centre (Pitsea Hall Lane, Pitsea, Basildon, SS16 4UH)
PRICE: £18-34

OUR RATING: CHANCE IT!

Credit: BCM Productions

On the winding back roads of the Essex countryside, you come across a whimsical fairground, complete with big top. But beware: this isn’t your ordinary circus, which you’ll soon realize when the friendly-looking clown that’s rapidly approaching has something other than fun on his mind. Enter Cursed…

Credit: BCM Productions

Safe Zone
Our Scare Factor: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Storyline: The infected are honing in, and you need to make it to quarantine. Will you arrive at the safe zone unharmed, or will you become one of them?

After facing judgement we were thrown into the outside ‘safe zone’ starting with a journey through a haystack maze. This was definitely one of the highlights of the night, as the haystacks and the actors created a chilling ambience, and it was really fun trying to decide in the complete dark which path to take and if we should venture under the haystack piles and face the wrath of the creatures in order to get out. 

The only real downside to this maze is that after we passed the actors some of them broke character and started chatting and laughing, but it was still probably the most fun we had all night. 

Credit: BCM Productions

The Institute
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Storyline: As Junior Reporter’s, you have been assigned to witness the execution of Andie Gard at Bridgegate Institute, the infamous serial killer… but inmates don’t take too kindly to visitors, so watch your back

The beginning of this maze was definitely scary as you witnessed the attempted – and botched – execution of a serial killer who escapes in front of your very eyes. Other than this, this was a very typical prison-style attraction with lots of metal bars and strobe lights, but the beginning certainly made it an entertaining adventure. 

Credit: BCM Productions

The Haunting
Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Storyline: This house has been left vacant for decades, and you are about to learn why. You’d be surprised how heightened your senses are when you aren’t able to see.

After experiencing Tulleys’ VIXI maze, the concept behind this maze was very familiar. We put on blackout goggles to venture into this hair-raising house – while a bit annoying for those who wear glasses, this was much better than the black hoods of Tulleys, as we could feel water, air, and other elements on our faces, which was certainly an interesting experience. We don’t think the two mazes were too different from each other other than this – it still seemed a bit too simple and missing out on lots of sensory opportunities (again, no smells!) but there was a tiny bit of touching by the actors which was definitely creepy! (Granted, they should have warned about this for those who have issues, but it was so slight to not be problematic for us – instead it was quite intriguing!)

Credit: BCM Productions

Abducted
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Storyline: A quiet drink in the local tavern leads to a chilling story about local disappearances. What will you do when you come face to face with the explanation? Running may be your only option.

The beginning and end of this maze were exceptional, with an immersive tavern-themed intake room and a crazy room full of alien-like nests and creatures protecting them at the end. We also enjoyed the slower strobes in this maze where we couldn’t really see what terrors we were headed toward at the end of harrowing hallways. Our special warning for this maze is to put your hats and any loose accessories away before you get extremely squeezed – do not take the warnings of claustrophobia in this one lightly!

Credit: BCM Productions

The Sewers
Our Scare Factor: 4/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Storyline: The Workshop was shut down, forcing business underground. Will you be able to navigate your way through the tunnel system and escape the butchers clasp?

This maze certainly had a genuinely fun theme perfect for the UK at Halloween, with old and eerie Victorian-style brick walls and tunnels you had to choose between. Unfortunately, while all the mazes at this park were short, this one was even shorter, and we were out before we really knew what was going, but it was gripping while it lasted!

Final Thoughts: This was for sure a special community-style event and we could tell the actors really cared and tried very hard to help you enjoy your evening. The mazes were admittedly quite short, but they definitely took amazing advantage of the space allowed in each of the maze marquees. The biggest disappointment was the theming of the main event green area, which is the hub into and out of the mazes. There was a small entertainment space and a single food truck, but the lack of lighting and any decorations really let this area down. We didn’t really want to hang around and enjoy the ambience as there really wasn’t any – this was the biggest let down of the night, and just a few small touches, from decorating the ped-barriers to adding some strands of lights or even a sweet stand, would have changed everything. But all in all the mazes and actors made this a night we would suggest you give a try, especially if you are local to the area!

P.S.: The UK has haunts galore this Halloween season. Why not try out Hallowscream at York Maze for some more chills and thrills.

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Outdoor Attractions, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , ,
11 Oct 2019

Tulleys Shocktober Fest 2019

WHAT: Tullys Shocktober Fest
WHEN: 4 October – 2 November, 2019
WHERE: Tulleys Farm (Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 4PE)
PRICE: £12-150

OUR RATING: Do It!

Storefront City is back from hiatus and what better way to kick off our return than to review a scare attraction celebrating our favourite holiday of the year – Halloween.

The last time we reviewed a haunted attraction was Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights. It’s good to know before you continue to read our review that as producers of immersive haunts ourselves and avid haunt-goers when we lived in the US, we have relatively high expectations and aren’t super easy to scare – although we try to put ourselves in the zone no matter the haunt!

Tulleys Shocktober Fest, with its wealth of history and huge playing space, is a must to visit with TEN haunts – eight scare mazes, a haunted hayride and a circus act.

We attended early in the season in the haunt’s second week of operation on a weekday. Since we absolutely had to experience every single maze, we arrived super early. The mazes open half an hour after the park itself does, which gives you time to walk around and get a feeling for the place. The park has a really smart flow as you go from haunt to haunt and encounter bars, food stalls, rides, and live music stages, with the smell of bonfires comforting you along the way. There are also really convenient boards that display live queue times, but on the night we went the queues were only between 5 and 20 minutes long. We were worried for no reason!

The Park has a truly spooky atmosphere – roaming characters who convey a rich mix of creepy and humour. Now for the haunts:


The Cellar
Our Scare Factor: 7/10
Atmosphere Rating: 8/10

“Those that dwell in the Cellar have not been forgotten.

We had read that The Cellar was one of the best and scariest haunts, so we decided to beat everyone to it and get to it first. This haunt was highly detailed and themed (the dank, miserable interiors oozed with terror), with interim rooms just as interesting as the main rooms, which really explored what you can do with different sized spaces. While we ultimately didn’t think it was the scariest maze we’ve ever been to, it was definitely one of the scariest at the park.


Twisted Clowns
Our Scare Factor: 6/10
Atmosphere Rating: 8 or 9/10

“The Clowns are here as you expected. An unhappy band of souls neglected. ”

We were very wary of the concept of a 3D maze, but man did we misjudge this maze from the outside! The 3D glasses you are given help the UV paint pop, making both the images and the actors jump out of nowhere. The rooms are slanted with a great funhouse feel. This also had one of the best executed Spin Tunnels we’ve ever experienced because the UV paint and 3D glasses really did make you feel like you were dizzily floating in space. The only downsides to this maze was that it was a bit too short and that it missed out on a few classic funhouse themed tricks we’ve seen before, but ultimately this was super memorable. Not for coulrophobia sufferers!



Wasteland Penitentiary
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 5/10

“Beyond the explosion ripped through the world, bringing an end to civil life.”

When we first approached the outside of this haunt we were kind of blown away (some entrances weren’t themed at all, which was a really strange inconsistency in the park). There was even a real blacksmith working away on one side of the apocalyptic wasteland space while characters roamed around. However, the haunt itself was extremely underwhelming and one of our least favourites. But if you like a haunt that’s basically prison bars along most of the way with lots of banging about, strobe lights, and loud metal music, maybe this is for you.


The Wreckoning
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9/10

“These are stranded souls who have sunk to the depths of despair & depravity.”

For the first minute or two of the maze we were a bit underwhelmed and really – what’s so scary about adventure music and pirates? But suddenly around halfway through the maze the entire world opened up and the set design was ramped up to the extreme. The maze was absolutely gigantic with lots of very beautiful little worlds and some really fun floor elements – definitely one of our favourites. Certain to shiver your timbers!


The Chop Shop
Our Scare Factor: 4/10
Atmosphere Rating: 2/10

“You better be careful now, Billy-Bob is real handy with a reconstruction.”

Maybe this was a bit of a self-fulfilled prophecy; we went into this haunt with low expectations and luckily so as it wouldn’t have lived up to any. The maze pretty much consisted of just white walls and fake blood and chainsaws. It was a relatively short scare – the scariest part was how real the chainsaws were but that’s really about it. Our favourite part of this maze was the full grown bloke behind us, terrified to get away from the chainsaws as quickly as possible.


VIXI
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 5/10

“A torturous, painful and tormented moment before finality.”

During this haunt a black hood is placed over your head to encourage the idea of sensory deprivation. It was a good idea in concept, but not as well executed as we hoped. It was a relatively short haunt and didn’t really touch on many teases to the senses – there were some smart choices and nice experiences but really – nothing at all to play with the sense of smell? What? It just missed one too many tricks for us. 


The Village Coven of 13
Our Scare Factor: 6 or 7/10
Atmosphere Rating: 9/10

“A witch confirmed, tried and convicted; Death upon her was afflicted.”

Just wow – what a great atmosphere to this! Lovely woods and trees and then this absolutely riveting and somewhat terrifying trick they use with lasers and fog to make it look like the witches are emerging out of water to come and attack while you struggle through the set as if trying to swim away. Very surreal and very beautiful. An extremely effective atmosphere and use of the woodland spaces and a very nice change from the white wall interiors of some of the other mazes. Some of the actors really understood how scary quiet creepiness can be too, another nice change from all the banging and screaming.


Creepy Cottage
Our Scare Factor: 1/10
Atmosphere Rating: 3/10

“The occupants of this house would like you to stay for a very long time.”

We were warned in other reviews that this was the least exciting haunt, and those reviews were definitely right. There were some nice and creepy sounds and voices and a nice sensory trick but that was about it apart from some skeletons. Probably a good one for those first starting out though!


Circus of Horrors
Our Scare Factor: 3/10
Atmosphere Rating: 5/10

“Blending horror and burlesque with bizarre acts and live rock music.”

We actually attended a full performance of Circus of Horrors when they were in London. Gothic, crazy, and consisting of unusual feats of (impaling) swordsmanship, we liked the aesthetic, but some of their acts are most certainly gruesome indeed!


Haunted Hayride
Our Scare Factor: 5/10
Atmosphere Rating: 8 or 9/10

“Explore the abandoned backlot at the Horrorwood Film Studios.

An absolute must when you visit – it may not be the scariest experience, but there are definitely moments, and the acting is probably some of the best in the park. Fun, unexpected, and full of thrills, there are lots of great set pieces and a ton of interaction with set pieces and actors, with a lovely balance between creepiness and humour. We especially loved the scarecrow and pumpkin men set pieces and the actors who didn’t approach the tractor but instead stared at us from afar. There is also a hilarious and random ending with some nuns you’ve got to see to understand…or not understand….but funny to the extreme!

Summary: Go! Go with friends, go for a deadly night out, take your time exploring the whole park. Definitely go and see the clowns, witches and pirates and go for a nice hayride. Indulge in some not-too-expensive treats like choco-kebabs, fancy mac and cheese, or lots of other options in street food. Go go go, it’s the perfect combination of scary and fun – a great night out!

P.S.: For some more haunting fun, check out our review of Thorpe Park Fright Nights.

*All quotes and images credit Tullys Shocktober Fest

Posted in Do It!, Festivals, Outdoor Attractions, Performing Arts, See It! and tagged , , , ,

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