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. Shock Horror takes audiences on a terrifying journey into childhood nightmares and being afraid of the dark. 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.
Obsessed with finishing his life’s work, a horror fanatic returns home to a haunted cinema. As his mind unravels, painful memories begin to wake from the dead – but something else waits for him, something much worse.
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, National Theatre; Quality Street UK Tour, Northern Broadsides) as Herbert, Chloe Proctor (Emmerdale, ITV; Doctors, BBC) as Norma, Joseph Carter as Jack (Hollyoaks, Channel Four; Yizkor, New Vic Theatre; 100 Years On, Everyman Theatre) and Chris Blackwood as Karras (Miss Julie, Gulbenkian Arts Centre; The Little Mermaid, Kings Theatre). Shock Horror is written by Yorkshire-based playwright and filmmaker, Ryan Simons (Eastenders, BBC; Emmerdale, ITV).
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.
Ryan Simons, writer and director comments, Shock Horror was inspired by a desire to create the next horror classic by bringing together our love of scary films and stage horror. We wanted a ghost show that had broad appeal, something that resonated with both teenagers and adults to entice the next generation into the theatre. We’ve created a unique experience for a horror show by incorporating a cinema screen within the set design, films are carefully woven into the live action to create a blended performance that makes the play visual, captivating, and terrifying!
