Horror Camp Live 2014 Review

There are loads of people who've heard of Horror Camp Live and are really curious about it, despite the fact that they’ll probably never do it because it's not really their thing. The loud, crude, hands-on nature of the experience means there’s a probably fair number of people who are into that stuff, yet still wouldn’t want to do it. And I don’t blame them. This isn't your average scare event. And while I wish I could spill all the gory details, I must keep this review spoiler-free, because there’s another group of people who are probably reading this: the scare junkies, the hardcore horror lovers, and those who give zero fucks. In other words, the people who might actually go.

Before our steady descent into madness, the evening started out relatively civilised. We had a bite to eat and watched a film. The unsettling character ‘Lockjaw’ had addressed the group early on so there was a slight sense of unease; I even received a text message informing me that I was being watched. After the film we were divided into groups and given our instructions: each group would complete three tasks each, and the successful completion of each task would bring us closer to solving Lockjaw’s puzzle. I was a bit disappointed with the way the teams were assembled; we were divided up according to where we were sitting, which meant that all groups of friends remained together. I think I’d have preferred a little randomisation to mix things up.

The tasks themselves were completely and utterly surreal. I don’t mind saying that some of it was rather unpleasant, but successful in pushing us way out of our comfort zones, which is kind of the point. We had to interact with different characters and explore different areas of the camp. We found ourselves in situations where we had absolutely no idea what was going to happen to us. Looks of disbelief were exchanged, and in one case, the safe word was used. Simple details made the scenarios so much more immersive; for example, having a hood placed over my head made me feel disoriented and therefore completely at their mercy, which in turn added to the sense of danger.

The time between tasks was a mixture of games and entertainment with our hosts Incesta Cleaver & Mrs Dybuk. They did a fantastic job of keeping energy levels high and making us feel engaged. We were also introduced to ’Automata’, a living Victorian automaton, who would randomly take people away for a horrific one-to-one encounter. I found this character extremely disturbing, and my encounter with Automata gave me my best scare of the night by far. Aside from Automata, there wasn't really much scare activity between the tasks, which was a bit of a shame. One or two more scares would have mixed well with the laughs.

The finale saw us plunged into total darkness for the revelation of the answer we’d somehow reached, despite failing two tasks. It was horribly tense. We were certain that we’d won Lockjaw’s game, and later evidence to the contrary had us completely baffled! Following a narrow escape, we retreated to our tents and were confronted with a horrifying truth: there was more to come. What ensued was a lengthy struggle to get any sleep, as the actors unleashed some hilarious scare tactics on us while we thought we were safe inside our tents. Without giving too much away, there was one character which I was extremely disappointed not to have seen more of, but aside from that it was a brilliant end to the night.

Overall, Horror Camp Live has something for everyone and it’s an unforgettable event to take part in. Taking part really is key; the more you get involved, the more fun you’ll have. Get stuck in, interact, play along and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself along the way. Make no mistake- Horror Camp Live is outrageous, but not without a sense of humour. If that sums up your attitude, you’ll fit right in.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Mark Lofthouse for a fascinating behind the scenes tour of Manormortis, where part of Horror Camp Live is set this year. The attention to detail within is astounding, as is the overall creative design and conceptual theming. These qualities reflect real dedication to the guests’ experience, and I can’t wait to see what happens with Manormortis in the future.