As a deadly new disease is wreaking havoc across the globe, parasitologist Fret is working towards finding a cure. Time is not on her side; vast numbers of people have already died, and a loved one is starting to display the sinister trademark symptoms. After many hours spent in the lab, Fret steps outside to take a break, and is knocked unconscious by a mysterious assailant. She awakes entangled in a network of tubes and pipes inside what appears to be a human-sized tin can. Fret is no stranger to these vessels; they were designed to function as a life-suspension chamber in which to wait out the deadly plague. Why has she been placed in one? How much time has passed? With no knowledge of the situation in the outside world, a terrified Fret struggles to comprehend her imprisonment, and sets about trying to escape. Seth A Smith's post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror explores themes which resound with an unfortunate pertinence these days, but there is a great deal more to be discovered in TIN CAN than an infectious pathogen. Fans of The Crescent will recognise Smith’s bleak, sparse frame and cool-toned minimalistic milieu, but ought not to be reassured by its familiarity. The film’s suffocating claustrophobia combined with elements of body horror and sci-fi medical aesthetic creates a unique viewing experience, which becomes all the more distressing once the world outside Fret’s chamber is finally revealed.

Described as “a 45 minute sequence of chaos, just to say thank you”, the 2019 iteration of Faceless Ventures‘ ‘Unwrapped’ was a mysterious event which ran for one night only. The Unwrapped show has become an annual tradition to mark the end of the year, highly anticipated all year round. This was our first time attending one – we were emphatically encouraged to do so, and as is always the way with Faceless Ventures, we had no idea what to expect. We arrived early and settled in with a couple of drinks, and with a raised eyebrow, I carefully surveyed each and every individual, looking for clues as to what the show might entail. Sadly, there were no clues to be found. Participants exited the show area in varying states. Some were covered with blood. Some daubed with crude makeup. Some had no trace of anything at all. It was a mystery. As it turned out, the vast discrepancies between the participants’ exit states were the result of the participants’ own choices, not those of Faceless Ventures. And those choices weren’t made within the show – technically, the show hadn’t even been written. That was our job. As we descended the stairs to the building’s basement, we overheard a great deal of shouting, and quickly found ourselves in the midst of a heated argument between the Faceless Ventures team members. They were arguing about the show; or rather, the lack of it. Things clearly hadn’t gone to plan, and so, we were asked to step in and finish the job. We were assembled into two teams of ‘interns’ and tasked writing the show from scratch. We chose our own setting, theme and style. We picked actors, props, music and lighting. And finally, we performed it for the other team. Once both performances were complete, they were judged and scored by independent adjudicators. The content of Unwrapped 2019 can’t be reviewed as such, as no two versions will ever be the same. When it comes to reviewing the concept, I can scarcely find the words to express how much I loved this. How much more immersive can an experience get? How much more hands-on and involved; how much more meta? This was, without a doubt, the most memorable and enjoyable experience I’ve ever had in the field of immersive horror. Only a team so passionate about finding new and innovative ways to immerse their audience could create something like this, and it’s clear that this passion is front and centre in the Faceless Ventures modus operandi. Thank you for an amazing end to the year.

Last night, Mexborough Business Centre played host to the 'Born in Blood' exhibition, presented by Strange Playgrounds in collaboration with Faceless Ventures. The evening was an exploration into Abarise, a mythological state comprised of neurosis, trauma, insanity and suffering. The 'Born in Blood' collective represents Abarise in multiple formats, encompassing photography (Nick Hardy), writing (George Daniel Lea), and film (Alex De Luca). The evening served as an imaginative platform from which all of these works could be showcased.   The photography presentation was of particular interest to us, as this had been incorporated into a live theatrical piece in the basement of the business centre. The photos themselves adorned the walls, nestled under plastic sheeting and lashings of blood, echoing the imagery in the pictures and thus creating a seamless connection between the space and what was being exhibited. We were given small torches to help us explore our surroundings, and I got a good jump scare as I made my way through. This was followed by a dramatic actor-led scene, culminating in an unexpected (and extremely physical) finale. The dialogue in this sequence really brought the concept to life; overall, this small show was the highlight of our evening.   Later in the evening we were shown a short film titled 'Hymns of Abarise - Megan', which was another step into the the world of Abarise. While I loved the inclusion of a short film in general, the film itself wasn't for me. It is worth pointing out that as a programmer for a film festival, short films are submitted to us in their hundreds, and by watching these over the years I've probably developed a more critical eye than most. 'Difficult to please' might be a better way of putting it! Nevertheless, the concept of Abarise is a plentiful source of inspiration; a solid foundation on which all manner of ideas can be built, so tapping into this via the medium of film seems like a promising journey to embark on. I look forward to seeing how the film progresses, as there was talk of developing it into a feature.   A resounding sense of community is what made this evening special for us. The members of the local community who had come to see the exhibition. The artistic community of Abarise, who had used their creativity to help support mental health charities. And of course, the haunt community, doing what they love most. A pleasure to spend time with as always. Well done to everyone involved in this exhibition - it was an intriguing and truly unique event.

First appearing at Sheffield's National Emergency Services Museum in 2014, and going on to pick up a SCAR award for best original concept/design, EVAC made a fleeting return to the museum for two nights only in October 2019 (after some 'strange occurrences' were caught on the museum's CCTV). We went along to see whether we could be of any assistance in ridding Sheffield of the mysterious 'shapeshifters'. As it turned out, I wasn't much help at all.   We received our initial briefing inside an ambulance, and I thought this was an amazing touch. What a unique setting for a scare attraction intro! This also added to the sense of imminent danger and emergency, and thus, set the tone impeccably. It wasn't long before we were sent off into the darkness to begin our mission: to retrieve the serum and banish the creatures.   As we made our way through the venue, I realised just how much it has to offer an event like this. This wasn't the first scare attraction to take place inside the museum - let's not forget Caine in 2014 - but for me, EVAC made greater use of the the rooms and had a concept better suited to the venue's aesthetic. The exhibits looked so eerie in the darkness - especially the vehicles - and we loved the 'after hours museum' creepiness. Motionless mannequins cast shadows across empty rooms, and our screams echoed through dark, deserted hallways. Powerful stuff.   The scareactors all did an amazing job. Some took their time with us, some landed impact scares then disappeared back into the shadows. Some defied gravity, others lurked down low. It was a really good mix. A standout scare occurred in the room where we were supposed to look for a dustpan; it came from the front, and as effective as it was, I'd have loved to see an additional scare come from a different direction in this room (perhaps from behind us).   We enjoyed the finale of this attraction very much, but we did have one slight niggle. As the scareactors gradually closed in on us, we found ourselves assembled in a narrow hallway, unable to move forwards or backwards, and in close proximity to an open cell door (the inside of which was too dark to see). A sudden moment of total darkness signalled to me that one final impact scare was about to to happen. After all, we were like fish in a barrel, and there was great tension building. However, this moment gave way to a more theatrical conclusion. We still very much enjoyed this, but I felt the components of this final scene had shifted my expectations in a different direction.   Overall, we loved this attraction's combination of hands-on tasks and walk-through spooks, and I hope we'll all reassemble in the future should the shapeshifters reappear, as was alluded to in the final scene...

Halloween has landed at Scare Kingdom Scream Park! The 2019 spooky season at Hawkshaw Farm has officially begun, and we couldn’t wait to explore the scare mazes and experiences in this year’s fearsome lineup. We’ve always adored Scare Kingdom’s Halloween offering and for us, the last couple of years were particularly strong; so much so that the event had become one of our seasonal favourites. Thus, expectations were high. The October mood was strong as we approached, aided by our Halloween playlist en route, the crisp, starry night sky, and the sound of screams drifting across the car park as we ambled towards the main entrance. We were ready.   The Parlour The opening act of Scare Kingdom Scream Park has a great deal of heavy lifting to do. Past iterations have been cited by creators as sort of warm-up (or perhaps a warning), from which guests can gauge whether or not they’ll be able to proceed into the park. Such iterations utilised a jump scare (such as The Sanctum) or a confined space (such as The Oubliette). More recently, however, the openers have been a little less sharp, with guests more likely to exit with smiles on their faces than to run screaming out of the door. These iterations served as more of a welcome than a warning, but still in a scary way. Regardless of their methods, all (apart from Mallum) have succeeded in setting the tone and mood. The Parlour achieved this too to some degree. The success of this scene rests far more heavily on the scareactor than in previous years, and fortunately for us, this particular scareactor was engaging and entertaining.   The Paradise Foundation I love an intriguing concept, and The Paradise Foundation piqued my interest immediately. A service where patrons can receive a unique ‘treatment’ to improve any aspect of life, at the cost of the unfortunate ‘providers’, who are held deep in the bowels of this terrifying facility. Creepy, clinical smiles at the door and promotional posters promising ‘bliss’ – you can guess which beloved attraction this reminded me of! The team have deployed some amazing aesthetic contrasts in this attraction- the initial welcome is clean, futuristic and glossy, but once inside, the ‘providers’ (aka the gruesome consequences of the treatment) inhabit dark, putrid spaces. The scares themselves were very much targeted towards me at the front of our group, whereas the people behind me reported very little action. So while my experience was memorable and intense, it’s important to note this. Props to the actor who scared us senseless when we got lost. Sincerely – very well played.   Manormortis – Borley Rectory The richly themed halls and rooms of Manormortis are the laurels which should never be rested upon. In recent years, my criticisms of Manormortis have begun to repeat themselves – I’ve spoken before about being despondently waved through rooms, for example. This year I’m sad to report the same criticisms again. Empty rooms bar the lead scareactors, who were often midway through their spiels by the time the last group members had entered the rooms. Recitations duly delivered in one spot, on to the next, and so on. Unoccupied spaces. Add to this a skew-whiff nun mask, muffling the “rawr” from the scareactor underneath, and I was done. All we can hope for is that this was a fluke, as we know what can be achieved in this space. Fingers crossed for next year.   Blitz! We like to give individual praise where praise is due, and I cannot speak highly enough of the scareactor who delivered the introductory speech and sent us off into the darkness. His command of the room was exceptional; he had great presence and gravitas, and he sold the scene wholeheartedly. Once inside, I knew the drill – previous iterations of this maze have all delivered well on jump scares and the format remains much the same this time this year, albeit with one interesting addition – a torch. This is something of a wildcard, as the result it gives will depend entirely on the actions of the individual holding it, and personally, I think that’s genius. The theme of this attraction also gets a big thumbs up from me.   Body Snatchers – Sweeney Todd This maze got off to a strong start, with energetic scareactors setting the scene, and some great use of humour & innuendo. Unfortunately, activity levels dipped rapidly once we entered the cellar. There really is very little to report here – apart from us meandering around the dark corridors and enjoying the atmosphere, there were no scares until the end; the space felt very under-populated with actors. We’re hoping this was another fluke, as scares in this attraction have been relentless for us in the past (particularly in year one of Body Snatchers). We did get lucky when a deftly executed jump scare at the end of a narrow corridor landed squarely on a member of our group (his reaction was enjoyable for all of us), and the finale worked well too, but its impact would’ve been far greater if there had been some momentum preceding it. Our adrenaline had mostly dropped off by that point.   The Hoodening I do try to remain open-minded about hooded mazes. Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike them, but for the time being at least, some kind of follow-the-rope/hooded format seems likely to retain a spot in the Scare Kingdom lineup. With that in mind, I’ve always tried to focus on the positives, i.e. the added elements that elevate this format and make me feel vulnerable or make me laugh, such as the splitting of our group in 2016, or the ‘spidery’ effects on our hands and arms in 2017. Unfortunately, this year, there was nothing going on for us apart from the ever-present shouting and prodding. The final reveal didn’t make up for any of it, but as with last year, the opening scareactor was brilliant.   Psychomanteum – Trick or Treat? My friend Zoe was keen to do Psychomanteum again this year, so who was I to deprive her of that joy? I can confirm that upon exiting the attraction, she was in dire need of a wet-wipe and a cheeseburger.

As you may have gathered by now, I’m a HUGE horror fan. Many of my fondest memories are connected to horror films in some way; they are the blood-splattered backdrop of the story of my life. One of my favourite horror films, which occupies several of those memories, is The Shining. Often cited as one of the most terrifying films of all time, if not the most terrifying, The Shining's striking imagery has become cultural shorthand for the horror genre in its entirety. The typewriter, the twins, the axe - visual signifiers of a work so revered and respected, they are the avatars of horror cinema. The chance to view some of these iconic props was too good to pass up; it felt almost like a rite of passage for me. Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition gave me that chance. The exhibition, at London's Design Museum, is a sprawling treasure trove of original scrapbooks, concept art, storyboards, notes and screenplays, all littered with Kubrick's fervent scribbles and annotations. Seeing the simple REDRUM doodles in Kubrick's handwriting was an extraordinary experience in itself, and that was before I'd even entered The Shining exhibit. The whole collection paints a picture of an enduring perfectionist; a creative genius for whom compromise was simply not an option. The pre-production artefacts alone convey the dizzying level of detail in his work; a borderline obsessive approach which allowed Kubrick to execute his vision flawlessly, to the betterment of modern cinema. The linear layout of the exhibition is engaging and surprisingly immersive. Entering through a walkway between wrap-around screens showing clips from Kubrick's films, the message is loud and clear: you are stepping inside the mind of the director. Our journey began with a simple chessboard, which served as a humble introduction, before progressing through Kubrick's history and filmmaking methodologies. We found ourselves surrounded by the milieu of the individual films via their own dedicated exhibits, each one brought to life with astonishing behind-the-scenes stories, photographs, props, artifacts and conceptual poster designs. There are screening booths showing various scenes on a loop, which made the experience even more immersive for us. The exhibits even have their own colour schemes in line with the films they're presenting. As much as I adore Kubrick's work in general, particularly 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, The Shining exhibit was of course my favourite. The bright red walls signalled our arrival into this section, surrounding the The Overlook's miniature hedge maze, which takes centre stage beneath a glass case. One of the walls features a large scale piece of Kubrick's handwriting; his musings on character motivation, perhaps a glimpse into Kunrick's initial interpretation of the source material. I found myself huddled around a screen with a group strangers, each of us gawping at the baseball bat scene as if we were seeing it for the very first time. Our perceptions had been altered by everything we had learned thus far; our engagement renewed. Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition is an absolute must for any horror fan, film fan, or lover of art and design. The exhibition runs until 15th September 2019.

The location of Blackpool's Pasaje Del Terror has always amused me. Parked proudly on the bustling Ocean Boulevard Promenade, its facade adorned with a hooded, red-eyed figure who glares menacingly at passers by. The fact that it's nestled in alongside the entrance to Blackpool Pleasure Beach is even more amusing to me - one is a gateway to a haven of frivolous, family-friendly fun; the other a gateway to a dominion of darkness. Although to a scream seekers and adrenaline junkie such as myself, the two are not mutually exclusive in terms of fun to be had! So after a couple of days of Blackpool shenanigans, we headed into Pasaje Del Terror, the blood-soaked cherry on top of our trip.   Having visited the attraction many years ago, long before this website, my memory of it was vague. Thus, I had very few expectations. The only thing that crossed my mind as we approached was this: considering the aforementioned placement of this attraction, it would be fair to say that in order to pull in the crowds, what's required of Pasaje is really quite simple. It needs to be scary, and objectively so; a basic pattern of tension and release.   I'm thrilled to report that Pasaje goes above and beyond this format.   There were many elements I hadn't expected to see. Self-referential theming, for starters. Multiple scare styles and tactics. Attention to detail. Misdirection. Lively, engaging and enthusiastic staff. Granted, there were one or two rooms where nothing much happened, and the ending was a little anti-climactic for me personally, as a seasoned fan. But with the combination of horror film references, original setpieces, the aforementioned flair and a few unexpected touches, there is more than enough to satisfy here.   My biggest takeaway from the experience was the overarching sense of pride in the attraction, which was encouraging and genuinely exciting to see. Pasaje doesn't rest on the laurels of its impressive location; there is genuine effort and enthusiasm at every turn.

Having never visited the prison before, I was looking forward to soaking up the ominous atmosphere of the venue while experiencing some great scare attractions. And festive frights are always a delight. And so, on the morrow of the winter solstice, we embarked on our journey to Shrewsbury. Along the way, the view from the road was littered with Christmas lights, and upon arrival at the prison, Christmas tunes could be heard floating across the courtyard. The combination of the prison setting, the Christmas milieu en route, the music, and the promise of impending terror made for an extremely surreal build-up. We made our way into the building to experience the first of three scare mazes. Experimental As we approached the start of this maze, I bought in almost immediately; even the stairwell was themed, bolstered by cold corridors and echoing screams. A deftly staged actor-led intro featured further theming and an alarming jump scare involving one of the patients. However, the actor playing the doctor surprised me. I was expecting a sinister, Kelman-esque authority figure - instead, we were met with someone I could barely hear over the audio, whose nervous disposition may or may not have been part of the characterisation. My friend informed me that this actor had returned from the Halloween season, and that during her visit, an incident at the same point created similar ambiguity around this character, which distracted her. Sadly, I was distracted too. However, once this experience got going, the jump scares were enough to jolt me out of my distraction and into next week. An unassuming follow-the-rope format soon revealed a sting in its tail: scareactors lurking in total darkness, lit sporadically amidst shrieks and screams. They grabbed at us as we blindly shuffled along. At one point we were separated, and when the missing group member did not answer my cries, I briefly considered the prospect of a daring rescue mission. An enormously enjoyable experience, and wholly unexpected from a follow-the-rope scenario. House no. 7 As I strode confidently into the first scene of this exceptionally presented experience, the icy stare emanating from the first character stopped me in my tracks. Experimental, as exciting as it was, did little to showcase the incredible acting talent within this scream park. House, on the other hand, staged it front and centre. This character-led, narrative driven walkthrough was astonishingly good. The acting was some of the best I’ve ever seen in a scare attraction – especially the grandson, who played out his scene with captivating elan. As far as I’m concerned, House no. 7 has cracked the code; each setpiece featured a high level of detail and carefully crafted theming, without the glossy, polished veneer that can result in some attractions losing their edge. This helped create a sense of danger as we approached the final scene, aided by the actors’ unpredictable outbursts as they hurled objects around with little regard to their direction. The only downside of this experience was a joke aimed towards someone in our group, which sparked a conversation on our way home around whether jokes pertaining to someone’s physical appearance are acceptable. We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments. Meat Market Essentially an attraction of two halves; this experience featured another engaging, actor-led intro, with plenty of humour which would serve to offset the impending finale. Humour is a hugely important aspect of scare entertainment as it can help create a false sense of security, which worked perfectly in Meat Market. The welcoming nature of the first actor soon gave way to an intense barrage of impact scares. We found ourselves darting around a strobe-lit cage like headless chickens, relentlessly pursued by a terrifying scareactor who seemed to have us exactly where they wanted us at any given moment. The mask worn by the scareactor was alarming, and my compulsion to run from it was genuine. There's nothing better than stumbling out of a scare maze in a mass of shrieks and giggles, and that's precisely how we exited Meat Market - a perfect end to the night. Some audio in this attraction would have carried it even further, creating a full sensory assault. Additional thoughts Before we left Shrewsbury prison, we were treated to a face-to-face meeting with the big man himself - Santa Claus! Clutching his liquor bottle and verbally abusing his elf, this Father Christmas wasn't quite the jolly character you'd expect; his lewd, drunken badinage had us in stitches. Another example of the high standard of acting at Shrewsbury, and another memorable moment amongst so many that evening.

2018 was my first ever visit Yorkshire Scare Grounds; a park that had been on my list for ages, and I had high expectations for it. After a lengthy entrance queue, we made our way to the intro building and were met with ‘the doctor’, who, with the help of a video, laid out the rules of the scream park before sending us off into the darkness. This guy did a superb job of injecting humour into his spiel, thereby lulling us into a false sense of security in readiness for the scares. We ambled along a dark woodland path – a portion of the experience which I thoroughly enjoyed – until we came upon the show building for the first maze, nestled perfectly amongst the trees. Atmospheric lighting, a dead body hanging from a tree, and a creepy scareactor set the scene for our first attraction of the night. The Torture Rooms The exterior theming (I loved the price list) does this maze a huge favour, and a deeply unnerving scareactor did a wonderful job of stirring up a little unease before sending us into the attraction. Without him and his intro, I’m not sure the concept would have worked for me. Once inside, the shine wore off as I realised that the scenes were all strikingly similar, in terms of set decoration and the direction from which the scares came (it was essentially the same every time). The tension levels quickly levelled out as a result of this uniformity; nevertheless we received one or two good jump scares. The scareactors inside were energetic and engaging, although perhaps the latter was a disadvantage; they were keen to keep our group moving, and so kept shouting at us to leave through seemingly continuous patter, of which I wanted to hear as much as possible! Zombie Outpost Odd to hear myself uttering the words “are… are these nazis?” in a scare attraction. And indeed they were. Nazi zombies. This theme was executed with a great deal of enthusiasm. I suppose it's a case of 'go hard or go home'; if you’ve chosen to go with nazis (complete with swastika flags and authentic uniforms), you might as well see it through. I enjoyed the intro, where I was instructed to select a random member of our group to go at the front. The layout of this maze is relatively open, so the victim didn’t suffer too much, but it was a great little gimmick. We ended up at the back of the group for this one, which was fine by us, as the zombies skillfully delivered scares towards both the front and back. Despite the theme, which I wasn't hugely keen on, this attraction was outrageously fun; more like a scare zone than a contained maze, and utilising the best of both. The Colony Fear levels quickly rose as we entered The Colony; themed around a rural village inhabited by lepers who have been left to rot within its walls, this attraction delivers on style and substance. The detail within is stunning; complete with abandoned shops, eerie streets and crude dwellings which we steadily weaved in and out of, never knowing where the next scareactor would appear (the layout is ideal). Unlike The Torture Rooms, we didn’t feel rushed in this attraction. I was extremely tense throughout. The attraction was so immersive, I was genuinely surprised when the final scareactor alluded to what would happen in the next attraction, essentially breaking character. Nevertheless, this experience was one of the highlights of the night. Hotel Hell As we entered the first scene of this attraction, I genuinely wanted to applaud. The theming is stunning and I bought in immediately – I could see the grandeur of a once fully functional hotel, now transformed into a macabre playground for a truly deranged bunch of clowns. This concept carried through perfectly, each room plunged into pure chaos and insanity at the hands of our unhinged hosts. We found the attraction to be a little light on the scareactors as we progressed towards the end, but the animatronics were extremely effective, largely due to the tension created in earlier parts of the maze. The kitchen scene could have benefited from an additional scareactor; the one in there was hoping to scare the whole group, meaning we had to wait a little for everyone to catch up. That being said, given the detailed theming in that room, I could have hung around for hours. Blackthorn Asylum Can. You. Fucking. Not. I anticipated big scares in this one, and in that anticipation I became so worked up, a mere tap on the shoulder would have sent me into a panic. Having done most of the work for them, I was primed and ready to be terrified. I wasn’t disappointed. The action kicked off almost immediately, setting the bar high for the remainder of the experience. The theming had a similar vibe to Hotel Hell, in the sense of an institution being overrun and spiralling into chaos at the hands of the patients. My best scare of the night came from the bed scene, where some acute misdirection paid off impeccably. I recoiled in complete terror – although I’m not sure how well this would have worked at the back of the group. This maze is proof that you don’t need an IP to nail the horror movie aesthetic; with the right vision, this can be achieved with aplomb. The final maze exited into a delightfully unexpected finale, which had us in fits of laughter. Once outside there was still plenty for us to partake in, including food stalls, a gift shop, roaming characters and a hilarious photo booth. Still high on adrenaline and trying to resist the urge to purchase all the food on offer, we made our way towards the exit. Our first visit was over, and it certainly won’t be our last.

This year was our first visit to Contained Liverpool, and after having read reviews of their 2017 event, ‘The Chamber of Terror’, we were very excited indeed. This year, Contained Liverpool presents ‘Demonic Descension’– a twisted journey through multiple horror themed rooms. We anxiously took our place in the queue, which had disco lighting and rock music – this pleased us greatly. It wasn’t until we reached the entrance that we realised the playlist was most likely a means to drown out the shrieks and howls of the opening scene. The door opened. As we were ushered into a pitch black room, Alice Cooper faded into the background, and our descension began. The first few scareactors set the bar high, and high it remained. They were faultless in their command of the rooms, their interaction with us, their energy levels, and even their accents. They added a crazed intensity to every scene, and I could sense their own passion and enjoyment, not just for their own motifs but for the event as a whole. I was absolutely delighted to discover that this was so much more than simple walkthrough. Most (if not all) rooms had a level of interactivity, from simple task to a full-blown escape room-style challenge. A member of our group was sacrificed in a nifty execution scene, I myself was stowed away behind a curtain and found myself adjoined to a different group; these shifts were extremely effective in that they prevented any of us from getting too comfortable (no doubt the girl I went in with, who asked to hold my hand, was unhappy with my departure!) The scenes themselves were deeply immersive and utilised some of the best animatronics we’ve ever seen. They blended well with the live actors, and one in particular really caught me off guard! Timing is everything, and the scares are well-timed in this attraction. Moments of complete darkness created ample tension yet didn’t outstay their welcome. There was a great blend of intensity and humour, meaning our expectations were continually toyed with from room to room, and the experience never plateaued. I lost a little of the impact from the séance scene, as there weren’t enough chairs for me to sit down, and I imagine that would’ve been very unnerving from a sitting position. The final scene was something of a head-scratcher for us too, as we weren’t sure whether the actor was trying to scare us out of the door or not. If our exit has been more clearly signalled, and the actor more insistent that we leave, we may have understood the intention a little better. Overall, Contained is a superb attraction for the Halloween season; it hits all the right notes in terms of fear and fun, it’s incredibly engaging, beautifully themed, and has a decent duration from beginning to end. Were it not for its geographical location in relation to ours, we’d be back for another run in a heartbeat.

In a quiet residential area of Doncaster, tucked away along a leafy road, sits a creepy old barn. Within the scare community, this unassuming structure will henceforth be known as 'The House of Detention'- the UK's newest dedicated venue for scare attractions. Plans are already underway to host numerous events (including plenty of non-Halloween scares) inside The House of Detention, with an upcoming Christmas event already creating a buzz. The House of S was the inaugural scare maze to be built at the venue, running for the last week of the Halloween season, and we were very excited to go check it out. The House of S was a collaborative effort between PUP Events and GNG Entertainment; two teams with a wealth of experience in creating theatrical mazes with good interaction and well placed scares. Expectations were high. Once we arrived, we were lead to the dispatch area and told there were 3 doors to choose from. At this point I was already enjoying myself immensely; great lighting effects outside the barn and audible screams from within were adding to the atmosphere. We began our journey through door number 1. The first thing that struck me was the absence of any reference to the 'wax museum' from the original branding. I was expecting to see wax dummies coming to life, or something that looked like a museum, but I couldn't pinpoint either theme once I got inside. The sets were amazing; they were beautifully dressed and perfectly lit, but unfortunately there was no overriding theme to link back to. The scareactors made up for this though- they improvised well and delivered great impact scares (which always landed due to the small group size). The character of James McVee was the stand-out, with a confident performance and impressive command of the space. I also LOVED the clown character, whose concealed 'hand horn' was probably the most unsettling moment of the entire season for me (and the funniest!) The multiple doors were a nice touch, but I'm not sure it was worth it because the majority of the content was the same, regardless of which door we entered. It would have been great to see 3 doors function as 3 separate routes, perhaps with one crossover point (but with the space they had to work with, I doubt that would have been possible). Since the separate doors added so little, I would have preferred to see one larger, more fully realised maze. That being said, I enjoyed the non-linear layout, and I'm sure the 3 doors added tension because groups could be divided up. Confusing at times, but competent in its execution and not without theatrical flair, The House of S was a lot of fun. It also got things off to a good start in The House of Detention, which I have no doubt will function brilliantly as a permanent scare venue.

In and amongst the scream parks, scare mazes, Halloween events and shows which populate my calendar in the dizzying month of October, there’s one event I have a great fondness for; where, for a sentimental Halloween lover such as myself, the evening is such a delight that I could sit and people-watch for hours. Where else could you find two old ladies drinking cups of tea while the theme from Halloween blasts from the sound system and teenagers are chased around by a guy in a clown suit. This event is Screamfest, a Halloween spooktacular at the National Forest Adventure Farm in Burton-on-Trent. Featuring a slew of terrifying scare mazes and a selection of charming games and sideshows, and not forgetting DJ Duckpond, Screamfest genuinely has something for everyone, including us thrillseekers! So we ventured in to sample the scares of Screamfest 2018… Insomnia You thought you were entering a scare maze – you thought wrong. This is immersive horror, a fully theatrical experience blended with some traditional spookhouse scares to keep the adrenaline pumping. We knew from the queue line that this would be something special; a mini setpiece featuring a mother and child, which flowed into the first scene, really grabbed our attention. From there, we found ourselves in a hyper-real dream dimension where the acutely terrifying elements of a child’s nightmare materialised right in front of our eyes. This attraction cleverly harnesses a very specific feeling and projects it onto these scenes; a unique feeling of terror which could only be spawned from a child’s overactive imagination. Something no child is safe from, yet it doesn’t physically exist. This attraction excelled in delivering that sensation – one particular moment involving the mother really pulled the rug from under me. As we made our way through, the theming and sound design came together in a horrifying tableau (in which I saw a little of the Babadook, amongst others) and I was spellbound. The only minor downside was the first room – more people from the queue piled in halfway through the first scene, which threw the tension off slightly, and resulted in them missing half of it. Demonica Dark mazes can work; I’ve been in attractions before which featured minimal theming, black walls and basic lighting effects – essentially a basic platform for the scareactors to work their magic. Unfortunately, this dark maze is still missing the mark for me. As with last year, I was impressed by the exterior theming, and the first room worked perfectly. But once again, the door opened and the experience fell a little flat. I ambled around for several minutes before I saw a scareactor. There were countless empty wall panels, which was a huge disappointment; all I saw were a couple of scareactors around corners, so I quickly acclimatised to that. Some scareactors in the panels would have helped to mix things up, and that’s essential in a minimalistic maze such as this. By the time we reached the cage maze, I’d seen 2 or 3 scareactors, and it was a little too easy to see my way around; I could even see a scareactor gearing up to get me. Mind you, the attraction featured a certain seasoned scareactor prior to entry; an absolute favourite of mine, and that made my night. Love Hurts There’s always a great atmosphere in the queue line for this attraction. Themed around a grungy rock bar (The Diced Heart) there’s always good music playing and lots of band posters to look at, along with a bar area adorned with fairy lights and proscenium arch bearing a huge Love Hurts logo. The theming is this attraction’s strong suit – starting with the foul toilets and into the sewage works; the sets are so intricate throughout this attraction. We had a great run, with some energetic scareactors taunting us – although I didn’t see a scareactor in the green mist, which was a shame as that’s a great effect. There was one lurking, but they scared the middle of the group as I was exiting at the front (multiple actors in here would have solved this). The lighting shattered the mystique a little in the final scene; I’m wondering whether the professor looks scary enough to be bathed in bright light before running at us; but this is wholly subjective. It’s still an effective ending which works well with any group size. Día de los Muertos Mexico... cartel crime... in a scare maze? An escaped criminal, a chop shop, people shooting at you, walls riddled with bullet holes? I'm not a fan of this theme. Some would argue that the Día de los Muertos theme alone is culturally insensitive, but for me, that portion of the maze is where this attraction is at its best. Upon arrival for the celebration, the village is so beautifully themed, and the ‘lost souls’ portion works so well in and amongst the corn. Mild scares, but really quite charming and enchanting. I’d have liked a jump scare or two in the strobe section; aside from that, this is much the same as before. The ride to the entrance, perfunctory as it may be, still features some of my favourite elements of the entire event: the van, with the addition of the newsreader, is a wonderfully inventive setpiece.