A nightmare is about to break free…Herbert grew up in the Metropol. The eerie old cinema was his playground and prison – a place where endless late-night horror films were his only window to the world. But what lurked in the Metropol’s darkness? Now Herbert’s back at the abandoned cinema, and the real horror has only just begun…Inspired by classic theatre ghost stories and cinema’s greatest frights, Thunder Road Theatre’s Shock Horror is a chilling journey into a haunted past. Combining live performance and big-screen action, it’s full of shivers, shrieks and shocking revelations. Because we love a good horror film, don’t we? Until we realise we’re all alone in the dark…
Alex Moran, who plays Herbert in the show, was kind enough to shed some light on the production for its Scottish premiere.
Shock Horror: A Ghost Story is terrifying audiences at Perth Theatre from September 4th – 7th.
Without giving up the ghost, could you give us a brief insight into the goings-on of Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, and who you are in relation to the production?
Shock Horror is a multimedia horror show set in a crumbling old cinema called The Metropol. It’s about Herbert (who I play) re-visiting the ghosts of his childhood, which should mean some rather jumpy moments!
You’re kicking off this latest tour of the show in the historical city of Perth, not exactly a place unfamiliar to tales of the macabre. How does it feel to be taking the show on the road again, and starting here in Scotland?
It’s the company’s first-ever visit to Scotland and for someone who fell in love with the country as a child, I’m absolutely delighted to be performing here. I’ve been told the theatre is haunted too, so when we try to raise the dead that might conjure up something unexpected…
For an industry so obsessed with ritual, superstition, and mythos, ghoulish goings on aren’t as numerous as audiences may suspect. So, what was the inspiration behind the show?
I was (and still am) obsessed with The Woman In Black ever since I saw it for the first time as a teenager in London. Ryan (Writer & Director) has always had a penchant for 80s horror films ever since his younger days too. So this show is quite simply a love letter to both, it combines the two into a story that is at times heartbreaking, terrifying and beautiful.
There’s a lot of effects – especially practical – in the show. Could you give us a little more information about the team behind the scenes, and how important the visual and atmospheric nature of the show is?
The team behind the scenes are nothing short of extraordinary. It’s an incredibly technical show and Dom Patel (our technical manager) is like an additional performer within the story. He (alongside our lighting designers Andrew Crofts and Matt Carnazza) shapes the atmosphere brilliantly for horror. And of course Ben Parsons’ composition… wow x 10. We owe them all a great deal.
Audiences love to be scared. What do you think it is about a ghost story which keeps them flocking to the theatre or cinema? And just how many references can the film buffs expect to spot?
I think horror is the ultimate thrill-ride as both a theatrical and cinematic experience. We love to be scared as you say but it also instils a community spirit and mentality within us that I adore – we go along with our friends, we often hold onto them for dear life in moments, in a roundabout way it brings us closer together. There are many film references but you’ll have to come to see it to spot them all!
And with Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, is there anything specific you’re looking for audiences to gain from the show, who is the ideal audience?
Audiences deserve to be entertained and we want to do just that. Escapism for me is the ultimate goal. I want to take them away from their life, work, deadlines (and more) for a couple for hours, so everything we have done with this show is for the audience. We’re also delighted that the show has been a huge hit with young people, many of whom are attending in Perth, long may that continue.
Finally, what gives you reasons to sleep with the light on…?
We never settle for what we’ve created so I’m currently sleeping with the light on to write down more tricks & potential scary moments that come to mind when I wake up in the middle of the night. But I do also have a recurring nightmare about a midnight ghost as a kid, that may never leave me….
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