THORPE PARK FRIGHT NIGHTS 2015 - Scare Attraction Review

The Halloween events industry has become more and more prominent across the UK over the past couple of years, with an ever growing number of "scare attractions" popping up across the country. Thorpe Park were among the first to bring the "Scare maze" or "haunted house" style attraction to the UK, way back in 2002.

I experienced my first scare maze back in 2013, at Chessington's Halloween "Hocus Pocus" event. Admittedly it was a more family orientated event, though some of the attractions did provide a good scare or two!  This year I got the chance to attend Thorpe Park's Fright Nights for the first time! For 2015, the event boasts five mazes, four of which being themed to Lionsgate horror film IPs. These Include; My Bloody Valentine (The forgettable 2009 slasher remake), The Blair Witch Project, (Average, slightly overrated found footage horror), The Cabin In the Woods, (Awesome, horror mash up flick) and finally Saw Alive, (Needs no introduction!). The event also features an original concept maze which was the headline attraction, named "The Big Top", which had a demented circus theme.

Unfortunately, as expected, the park was heaving on the Saturday, therefore we only managed to get in three of the five mazes. Luckily we did manage the three I was most interested in seeing. Here are my reviews of each maze, in order of preference. Be warned, as there will be a few spoilers of both mazes and films!

3.) The Cabin in the Woods

I LOVE this film and I was very much looking forward to seeing what Thorpe had included in the maze. Unfortunately I was a little underwhelmed by this attraction. The idea of choosing your own route is a fantastic concept, especially as "choosing you own fate" is the primary concept of the film. This would definitely make repeat run throughs fun (When the queues is not 120 minutes long!) For me, I felt the maze was just a bit too dark, making it easy to miss key set pieces. Acting was excellent, with some good interaction and startle scares! The ending "outbreak scene" was well executed and captured the chaotic third act of the film very well.

2.5/5

2.) Saw Alive

First off, this is hands down the most visually striking maze at the event, both inside and out. The queue area is much better themed than the other mazes, complete with traps and other contraptions lying around, as well as tall barbed wire fences surrounding the area. Once inside, you are subjected to another of Jigsaws (or Amandas/Hoffmans?) twisted games.  I really liked the pre-show with Billy appearing on the screens, explaining the situation before the timer begins and we're moved on. The sets looked fantastic, with recognisable scenes from various films in the franchise. The actors did a great job of convincing us they were genuinely trapped in the many horrific devices. There were also great uses of lighting and special effects to startle guests. The ending scene featuring a trap from Saw VI was particularly effective! I enjoyed this maze a lot!

3.5/5

3.) The Big Top

This was the main attraction at this years event and it certainly did not disappoint. I was a little sceptical before going in after hearing from previous reviewers that the maze was not completely finished. You begin by having your fortune read before being chased out by a maniacal clown. The attraction then quickly picks up the pace as you enter and exit different tents, filled with bizarre and crazy circus characters. The maze looks very impressive, themed with carnival games and a giant grinning clown facade. Inside is themed to a funhouse with some very lively actors getting very close for comfort. One actor proceeded to follow me, laughing in my ear whilst running his hands through my hair! Lighting was very well used and quite disorientating! The finale features the oldest scare tactic in the book, the chainsaw! I honestly thought it would be a gimmick but when I turned the corner and first saw it, I may have sworn a little and swiftly moved to the exit! My only criticism would be there were a few dead spots, particularly outside where there where either no actors or they just weren't doing a lot. Overall though I was very impressed!

So that was all the mazes we managed. There is an up-charge attraction called "Containment" which is essentially a room escape experience. This wasn't something that particularly interested me and was rather pricey so I gave it a miss. Of course the park is open late so you can enjoy all your favourite rides in the dark. The Swarm and Stealth both looked very impressive at night! The park itself does unfortunately lack in general theming, though it was a nice touch to change the rides audio to fit the whole circus theme.

Overall then, Fright Nights is a great Halloween event for those seeking something a little more intense and physical. I must say that I prefer the more theatrical/atmospheric style mazes at Chessington, however if you want more short, sharp, impact scares, then Fright Nights is definitely for you. I would strongly recommend that you either visit on a Friday or Sunday as the Saturdays do get extremely busy. Frights Nights continue from the 23rd October - 1st November 2015.

Thanks for reading! Have you been to Frights Nights this year? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

GHOST STORIES - Theatre Review

Photo by Jennifer Panting

I first heard of Ghost Stories back in 2011, whilst it was playing at the Duke Of York Theatre in London. Co-written by Jeramy Dyson and Andy Nyman, the show promises "extreme shock & tension"  as well as having an advised age rating of 15+. Naturally I was very intrigued. After nearly a three year break, the show re-opened in it's new home at the Arts theatre London. Last Friday, thanks to my fabulous sister, I finally got the chance to see the show for myself but did it live up to the hype?

"You haven't seen horror until you've seen it live!" is the new tagline. I deliberately did no research prior to the show, so I had literally no idea what to expect. Previous reviews we're overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the experience as truly terrifying. We arrived early, ready for the 20:00 show.

Photo by Jennifer Panting

The Arts theatre is a very small, slightly dated venue. Upon entering the small foyer, you are greeted with the ambience of dripping and other eerie noises as well as police tape covering the walls/doors. Around 19:30 we were let into the auditorium. The theming continued inside, with yet more tape and strange, random numbers scratched into the walls. The combination of dim lighting and creepy noises created a perfect atmosphere to build the suspense before the show begins. At 20:00 sharp, the show very abruptly began, triggering the first scare of the evening! To say anymore from this point, would ruin the clever story and surprises instore! 

Photo by Matthew Panting

The show runs for a straight 80 minutes, with no interval. This means there is never a chance to catch your breath and the tension never gets lost. I was fully engaged in the story throughout. One thing I was surprised by, was the amount of humour in the script. The actors did a fantastic job of having us laughing one minute, then sat in nervous anticipation the next. The set design, though simple, was very effective. A particular scene involving a moving car was done remarkably well. The lighting and sound engineers have to be praised. The show uses many subtle audio and lighting cues and the timings were spot on. Another nice addition was the use of scent to fully immerse the audience into the story.

 Did I find the show terrifying? To be honest no. I felt very tense during certain moments and had a few startle scares. As someone who normally loathes the overuse of "jump scares" in films, I actually found myself wanting a few more of them in the show. If your someone who hides behind the pillow during horror films, you would probably find it pretty damn scary but hardened horror fans like myself, might be left wanting a bit more.

So was it worth the wait? Absolutely! Despite not being as scared as I would have liked, I still had a blast. It's more than just a show, the very well themed theatre actually ties into the story to make it feel more like an experience. Acting was superb, as was the set design and score. The audience seemed to agree, with everyone buzzing upon leaving. If you fancy an entertaining, slightly different show to your usual West End affair, then this is for you!