Sitting in the darkness, surrounded by fake screams, I can’t help but think, is this show really too scary for over 60s?
York Dungeons’ show, Hide and Shriek, promised a terrifying night filled with panic and claustrophobia but instead delivered a surprisingly funny show about an awful and unknown history.
“We found with this new show, the mirror maze itself, which is the show concept, is the one show that people often leave due to claustrophobia and panic attacks,” said Simon Alnaimi,
dungeon marketing executive. They even went as far as banning over 60s from the show due to fears that the show could cause problems to those with existing heart conditions.
With this in mind, I entered the dungeon reluctantly expecting the fear of my life, but I never really got it. Anything that might have been scary was prewarned to the group with health and safety questions.
“Anyone got a bad back or is pregnant?” Asks an actor before every fright. But it’s hard to stay annoyed at people just trying to keep everyone safe.
Putting the fear factor aside, it was an interesting show. Hide and Shriek is based on the story of Margaret Clitheroe, whose story I had never heard before. Clitheroe was arrested and killed for harbouring Catholics and priests in the 1500s. To add to the experience, you are put in the show as fellow Catholics of York trying to hide from the law.
“We really wanted to make it as claustrophobic as possible because you have to remember, when Margaret hid Catholic worshipers and Catholic priests, they literally hidden in walls and priest holes,” Alnaimi said.
The show keeps you constantly on the move, going from room to room as if you’re actually on the run. It had all the guest crawling through cramped spaces but my height being on the smaller end meant I could walk through with no problem while pointing and laughing at everyone else struggling.
Perhaps my favourite part of the whole show was the endless mirror maze. Abandoned by the actor guiding us, we were told to run through a maze before the police could catch us. Everyone swarmed in, eager to escape quickly but kept running around in circles.
Although, to my surprise, the mirror maze was only small and wasn’t actually a huge part of the show, despite being the concept for it and the best part. It’s clear that the size of the dungeons massively limits the show.
It’s one of the smallest dungeons in the country, especially compared to their London or Blackpool branch, and due to it sharing the level with neighbouring businesses it can’t expand. At least their using its small size to their advantage for the claustrophobic elements of the show.
Another big part of this show is that it is interactive. In every scenario, members of the audience were getting involved. Some were put on trial for ridiculous past laws, others were put in a cage or threatened to have their ‘little Tyler’s’ cut off.
Guest Tyler Smith said: "Being immersed into the performance was actually quite fun. It’s educational in a way and to get to be a part of York dungeons little history was unique.” He compares the show to award-winning children’s show, Horrible Histories, with its use of humour mixed with real history.
However, when asked about the spooky side, he said that the show did catch him with a couple of jump scares but the horror aspects of it were obviously aimed at children and families. Overall, Smith thought it was not scary and left him, ultimately, a bit disappointed.
Although many guests didn’t find it too scary, there is a warning before entering. “We don’t recommend it for people who suffer badly with darkness, or claustrophobia, or anyone with a pre-existing heart condition,” Alnaimi advises.
But as long as you’re not too nervous and don’t take things too seriously, this show is fun for everyone. Come with an open mind.
No comments