Review: Twisted Attractions Halloween Scream Nights, Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge
As an avid horror fan, I jumped for joy at the announcement that Twisted Attractions were bringing their award-winning Terror Farm to Lower Drayton Farm as part of their Halloween Scream Nights.
Among the horror circuit, Twisted Attractions are a big name. As the 2014 winners of Best Independent Production Company at the Scar Awards and 2015's Top Rated Terror Attraction awarded by Terror Attractions – Terror Farm had a lot to live up to.
Myself and my group were greeted with a rather cosy outdoor fire pit, various food stalls, a main stage complete with a bar and fairground attractions – It was not what we expected at all.
While enjoying one of their signature Bloodbath cocktails and the smooth swing style of live act Lady and the Sax, a zombie approached me and my group at an alarming speed, hunting out a fresh meal.
With similar confidence, we entered the three live horror attractions, and left each one quaking in our boots.
Mrs Piggot's Pie Factory took us right back to the golden era of slasher films with the macabre and hilarious Mrs Piggot leading us into her twisted cannibal butchers with a guided tour – before throwing us into a horrific maze to fight for our freedom blinded by strobe lights, captives screaming for their lives, hybrid pig-humans and a deranged killer on the loose.
The Destruction Zombie Hayride began in a similarly orderly fashion – with their army general briefing us on their biological mishap that led to zombies roaming Lower Drayton Farm, and ordering us onto their contained vehicle to interact with their zombies from a distance ...Until it broke down and we were forced to run through the abandoned vehicles to our freedom.
Utterly horrifying from start to finish, House of Insomnia: The Revenge was a true testament to Twisted Attractions' coveted rewards.
As we entered the rickety shack, we were immediately warned out by the father of the house and thrown down into the depths his poor family sleep in. From there, we were taken on a journey into the debilitating side effects of insomnia – from impaired vision, changes of mood, difficulty keeping balance, and an impending sense of doom.
All these blood-curdling screams and tear-inducing terrors were made possible by their thoroughly convincing and utterly engaging actors that step into their roles effortlessly, only breaking character if visitors may need help.
I do not say this lightly: Enter this event at your own risk.
By Becci Stanley
