HALLOWEEN HORROR VISITS - SCREAMFEST 2015

S C R E A M F E S T 2 0 1 5 ( B U R T O N - U P O N - T R E N T )

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HALLOWEEN HORROR VISITS 2015

FEATURES | Kyle Pedley

Following on from our 'Summer Visits' series earlier this year, this Halloween we are bringing our readers a series of reviews and features covering some of the UK's horror-based entertainment events and attractions. In this first part, Kyle reviews 'Screamfest 2015' at the National Forest Adventure Park in Burton, one of the countries' rising and most prominent scare attractions...

Halloween has become a decidedly more celebrated and ubiquitous holiday over the past few years in particular, as the Americanisation of what was once simply an evening or two of ‘trick or treat’ and perhaps the odd cinematic release has now become the jumping point for a burgeoning industry of ‘Scare Zones’ and similar attractions. An entertainment concept and idea that has been popular across the p​ond for decades now, it essentially consists of a series of walk-through experiences where live actors create scares and thrills for the usually-terrified public - meandering through dark corridors uncertain where the next shock will spring from. As mentioned, America has enjoyed these in bountiful amount, with Universal Studios’ annual ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ now a six-week long, multi-million dollar enterprise, and unsurprisingly in recent years Disney have jumped on the bandwagon with their ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween’, although admittedly aimed at a much younger audience. Despite the lucrative nature of such scares in the US, though, the adoption here in Britain has been far more gradual - indeed, until recent years, outside of a few exceptions such as Blackpool’s ‘Pasaje Del Terror’, there have been relatively few UK equivalents.

Leading the charge then, in many ways, is Screamfest at the National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton Upon Trent. Now in it’s fourth successful year, a visit to this series of five individual scare zones, with accompanying attractions, makes it clear why it has become such a prominent and popular figurehead in the UK scare industry. What maze designer Andrew Porter and the team at the National Forest Adventure Farm have achieved here in a relatively short space of time is genuinely impressive. The core model and approach is clearly inspired by elements of some of the aforementioned US attractions and events, and yet with no hyperbole, the invention and creativity behind some of the individual scare zones here - in particular the multi-stage ‘Children of the Corn’ experience - actually manage to outdo some of even Universal Studios’ efforts in their clever use of space and locale, narrative through-lining and theming, and simply the sheer amount of variety to the scare and thrill tactics employed.

"What maze designer Andrew Porter and

the team at the National Forest Adventure

Farm have achieved here in a relatively

short space of time is genuinely impressive."

As mentioned, Screamfest 2015 offers five central scare attractions - returning favourites ‘Soul Seekers’, ‘Nocturnal’ and ‘Children of the Corn’, along with two new experiences ‘Nightbringer’ and ‘Freakout’. What’s perhaps most impressive is how characterful and unique each experience is - from a VIP introduction to a new Nightclub that quickly dovetails into something more reminiscent of a Hostel or Saw Film, to the stop-start, panic-inducing video screens of a research laboratory that has fallen victim to an enraged female demon, to a disorienting fun house populated with evil clowns and multiple choice doors to go through, and a personal highlight being a trip out into the cornfields to the site of an old school ground, each attraction is wonderfully unique and offers a truly eclectic set of horrifying experiences. To say too much about any one zone would almost certainly spoil the fun, but needless to say, Screamfest very definitely manages to dodge the pitfall that so many scare attractions such as these are plagued by - predictability and repetition.

Outside of the five scare zones, which are undoubtedly the main attraction, Screamfest offers a handful of other distractions and accompanying touches. A small stage area in a central marque hosts an hourly show from SDR entertainment, whose sword and saw swallowing and other such acts elicited plenty of winces and gasps from the watching crowds. At one stage, upon leaving a scare zone, we walked straight upon a pirate and his undead wife, who asked for a volunteer from the public to lie down beneath him and duly proceeded to juggle flaming batons mere inches from the terrified young lads face. There is, in fact, a very welcome edge and directness to proceedings at Screamfest - and whilst one never worries that the due health and safety precautions haven’t been put in place (they clearly have), nonetheless some of the side attractions in particular offer that slight thrilling pang of danger and unfiltered ‘what if’ sensibility that the bigger contenders such as Universal, Disney et al would no doubt have stifled or diluted to within an inch of its life.

"An even bigger, better, camper and more

colourful spectacle of what was already a

fantastic, supremely entertaining romp."

It’s a notion that extends to the charm and effectiveness of Screamfest as a whole - in places there are still touches of a slightly homemade, makeshift nature, whereas in others the production values are unexpectedly high. The combination of all of these things, though, makes for an experience where you’re never quite sure what will come next. At one point, crawling through a low, confined space, I momentarily panicked that I was about to be squashed as the already confined space I was in began to close in about me. I escaped, only for moments later to feel as though I was going to be suffocated as I made my way through a seemingly endless pitch-black onslaught of inflatables squashing together around me, the only space literally in what I could physically push away from myself. Panic, adrenaline, fear and excitement all surged, and it wasn’t until afterwards that I realised throughout the entire time I could be seen by a member of staff no doubt ready to intervene at any moment if necessary. It is a testimony of what is so terrific about Screamfest, and what horror, Halloween and scare enthusiasts will no doubt hugely appreciate - the illusion is scarcely broken, and at times you almost find yourself questioning just how far it will go. Which is, naturally, a completely riveting perspective to be coming at with an experience such as this.

At £17-23 per person depending on whether you book online or buy on the day, and also dependent on the date visited, Screamfest is, in this reviewers opinion, priced extremely reasonably for the entertainment and variety of attractions on offer. With that entry price you are given a wristband which permits you to experience all five scare zones once (or mix and match a combination of 5 visits), with the added option to pay an extra £5 for each one you would like to re-visit. Each of the five attractions is definitely worth visiting - whilst the new ‘Freakout’ attraction is probably the least inventive and scary of the group, it is still nevertheless a patch above what some competitors offer, and definitely worth experiencing at least once, whereas practically all four of the others offer unique moments and ideas that hardcore fright enthusiasts may find themselves wanting to re-visit.

"Screamfest is, in this reviewers opinion, priced

extremely reasonably for the entertainment

and variety of attractions on offer."

Those who appreciate lighter scares during Halloween may find certain elemtns of Screamfest a touch too intense for them - though in truth on the evening attended there were groups of children who couldn't have been older than 8 or 9 going through some of the scare zones. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to that age group, however, and indeed the event's own website recommends visitors be at least 12, and it isn't difficult to see why. For everyone else, however, Screamfest offers a deceptively well-crafted experience that belies first impressions and provides a supremely entertaining and regularly terrifying evening of laughs, frights and indeed plenty of screams. If the work being done here by the National Forest Adventure Farm and Andrew Porter is to be an indicator of things to come for the British Halloween season, then it is an extremely promising and exciting time to be a fan of things that go bump - and scream - in the night.

MUSINGS

+ All five scare attractions are unique, distinctive and supremely well thought out

+ Some excellent use of location and space - particularly in 'Children of the Corn' and 'Nocturnal'

+ Scare-seekers will find plenty to love

+ Enormous credit to staff across-the-board - ushers and assistants helpful and friendly, live actors extremely involved and effective

+ Some interesting and at times tense side attractions

+ A fantastic night out for groups - prepare to laugh and scream in equal measure

+ Very reasonably priced

- Likely to be too intense for younger visitors

- Food and dining options are basic, but hot food is available and within reasonable realms of what to be expected from an event such as this

(A)MUSINGS (A)TTRACTION (A)DVICE

- BOOK ONLINE AND IN ADVANCE: A basic point, but booking online and in advance will ensure entry and also mean you will get the best price.

- COME EARLY, LEAVE EARLY: The gates for Screamfest open at 6:30pm, with the Scare Zones themselves opening at 7:15pm. Arriving for opening will mean the attractions will be relatively scarcely populated, which for some will be a double edged sword - there will be less 'buzz' but you will likely get one, two or even three of the zones done before the queues begin to mount up. If you do not arrive until half 8 / 9pm, be prepared to queue what can be up to half an hour per scare zone if visiting on a Friday/weekend.

- DRESS ACCORDINGLY: Much of Screamfest is outdoors, including the majority of the attractions longest scare zone. Dressing warm (and dry!), and with sensible footwear, is a major recommendation.

- DRINK, DRUGS AND.... WAIT, NO: Alcohol (and drugs) are strictly forbidden from being taken into Screamfest, and any potentially dangerous items such as aerosols etc. will need to be left at the entrance. Security do patrol the attraction, so do not attempt to smuggle any of these in as you will be ejected.

- FEAR IS A NO-CONTACT SPORT: All of the scare zones emphasise the same rule - the live actors will NOT touch you directly, and naturally you will be expected to honour this likewise. Any physical or verbal abuse to any of the live action staff will similarly see you ejected from the attracton without refund.

Run: Every evening until Sat 31 Oct 2015

Tickets: 01283 533933 / Official Website: click

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