Genuinely scary theatre can be hard to get right but this young theatre company has hit the balance of scares and gags bang on in this exciting and innovative show. This is not for the faint-hearted. Handed a blindfold upon entry, the audience are put entirely at the mercy of the ringmaster and his band of gruesome assistants. For the next hour we are subjected to hilariously horrifying tales of pain, suffering, punishment and death in the circus with joyously toe-curling interactivity and blood splatters a-plenty.
The cast hit the performance with immense energy right from the off, inviting their victims (I mean, audience) into the venue with well-executed menace. Already uneasy, we are then lead to our seats and instructed to don our blindfolds. Then the real fun begins. Treating us to a handful of gory stories about the circus and the fates which have befallen many inhabitants of the show and any unwanted visitors. As we hear the stories unravel, you can feel the tension in the room, as the crowd grows more and more aware that at any moment something could happen, and soon enough it does. With each story we are felt up, have spiders running up our arms, sat on, attacked by a one-legged murderer and splattered with the blood of a side-show circus act. The hilarious and constant attention given to the audience makes for a very entertaining hour, with a few guaranteed jumps along the way.
As the show goes on, the yarns spun get more horrible and the frights come thick and fast, the various screams from around the venue at constant intervals putting me on the edge of my seat, tense for the next possible shock. Rivetingly performed, highly original and wonderfully fun, this is a unique event not to be missed.