TW/ HORROR AND A MENTION OF POSSESSION
Following a critically acclaimed, sold-out tour in 2022, Thunder Road Theatre are back on tour this Autumn with Shock Horror: their must-see ghost story.
Described as Stranger Things meets The Woman in Black, this haunting, cutting-edge ghost story is the first of its kind to combine multi-media screen action with live stage performance.
I got the chance to speak to writer and director of the show Ryan Simons about the show and to see why horror should be on stage more.
What is Shock Horror about?
Shock Horror is about a horror fanatic who revisits the childhood cinema he once called home to confront the demons that haunt him.
What was the inspiration for the show?
Alex Moran (producer), was obsessed with the Woman In Black stage show as a young boy and I was obsessed with 80s horror films. When he came to me with the idea of creating a stage show that felt like a horror movie, we had the perfect ingredients to make it happen.
What was the easiest and most difficult part when writing the show?
The hardest part was blending theatre and cinema together in a way that felt seamless. The easiest part was creating the scares once we’d perfected the exchange between stage and screen.
How does this show get the theme of horror across to the audience?
Shock Horror is packed with scares the audience will recognise from horror cinema. Ghostly figures dressed in white, haunted toys, a boy who gets possessed in the night... terrifying.
What is it about horror that you think it deserves to be on stage more?
Horror has always attracted a young audience and now, more than ever, the theatre needs the next generation to fall in love with it. If we invite young people into the theatre and ask what scares them, I guarantee the result will create beautiful art and happier people. Sharing is scaring.
What are you most excited for the audience to experience when seeing the show? And why?
I’m excited for the audience to see how thought provoking horror can be. We have a beautifully twisted character in Herbert and at the end of the show, the audience are left wondering whether the true horror of the play is nature or nurture.
What's your target audience?
Our target audience is a family with teenagers. We would love them to choose us over the cinema.
What are your hopes for the show?
We hope our show will inspire the next generation of theatre makers to join the dark side and create groundbreaking horror for the stage.
Favorite part of the show?
The thunderstorm in Herbert’s bedroom. Nothing worse than a creepy toy at the end of your bed with its eyes on you in the dark.
Describe the show in one sentence.
The Darkness made me do it.
Alex Moran, producer and actor comments, The show has a much bigger team on board after last year’s success. Specialists in lighting, sound, and illusion; and a fantastic new set. It has evolved deliciously... more jumps, more scares, and more stand-out moments. I can’t wait to get started again.
Shock Horror opens in September at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley, then tours to the Macready Theatre (Rugby), Exeter Northcott Theatre, Theatre Royal Winchester, Wyvern Theatre (Swindon), Palace Theatre (Southend-on-Sea), Beck Theatre (Hayes), concluding at Crewe’s Lyceum Theatre in November.
The cast includes Alex Moran (War Horse,
See below for important show info.
IMPORTANT SHOW INFO
Shock Horror
Run Time - 1hr 40mins (plus interval) Age guide - 12+
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