On Saturday 14th of October, we were kindly invited over to Screamfest Burton, an event based in the Midlands at National Adventure Forest Farm. They had 14 nights of scares on offer this year, alongside two new mazes and three old favorites coming back, 2017 was the biggest year for them yet!
Prices ranged from £16 to £31 for the event, depending whether you booked online or at the door and which date you visit. They also had the option for fastrack for an additional £10 per person. They had street theatre around the park and this was seen as soon as we got in the car park. Stilt walkers roamed around, taking pictures and causing chaos to anybody they could before they even got into the event. The park also offered a selection of food and drink options on the night, with a licensed bar and live music through out the night with plenty of seating areas to watch the entertainment and to relax outside the attractions.
As we entered the scare event, the stage which had several acts throughout the night was right in the centre of the event and we decided to watch the first show. Shows ranged from magic, fire acts and other dangerous and fun acts. The magic show seemed to be the highlight with the magician 'Jonny Strange' having three time slots. He used horror in his acts to add the Halloween theme into his show, from sword swallowing to putting a drill up his nose. We think this is a nice touch to the event to have such a range of entertainment which perform through the night.
Freak Out
For this Halloween our circus of freaks and creeps have set up a funhouse at Screamfest. Full of crazy clown antics, frightful freaks and terrorising terrors. Do not be afraid boys and girls in this funhouse labyrinth none of our clowns bite… much! Come one and all to the Freakout Funhouse!
This maze was very colourful from the outside and had some good ratings from previous years as one of the returning mazes. The themeing and storyline was pretty simple which worked for them. As you go through the funhouse, you see a lot of clowns and themeing which you would find from a typical funhouse. The actors really made this maze fun whilst being scary. We think this is one of the most unique mazes with the options it gives you to split up. As well as some very odd looking characters inside with the typical clowns you would find... this was one creepy fun house!
Themeing & Storyline: 7/10 | Actors: 8/10 | Scare: 5/10 | Overall: 20/30
Soul Seekers
It is that time of year again, the successful hit TV show Soul Seekers is hosting one of their Halloween specials; Soul Seekers Live at the Helton Grand! This year the show is investigating the famous Helton Grand Hotel that has been left abandoned since the 1930’s when all the residents were discovered dead and brutally massacred.
Based around paranormal investigations, this attraction had one of the best storylines from the event. Starting off with with some history thrown in with the safety speech from the start, we thought this was quite a cool touch. With the first couple of rooms/scenes helping explaining the story before you go through several dark and narrow corridors and start your journey through this haunted hotel. The actors were great in both parts, from being scary and doing their theatrical piece to explain the story and move you forward. This haunt was very unusual and even though we all went in together, you easily could get lost from your group in the darkness. The themeing inside really worked for them, with all the scenes relating back into a hotel that is haunted and were very heavily themed.
Themeing & Storyline: 9/10 | Actors: 7/10 | Scare: 7/10 | Overall: 23/30
Love Hurts
Love Hurts is another of the returning mazes for 2017. Based on speed dating gone wrong, you are left to manage your way through the back alleys of the sewers by the nightclub and see some very unusual creatures along the way...
From the queue line, you could tell this attraction was going to be very heavily themed, from a bar set being seen in the queue and being the entrance into the maze and music playing such as "Bad Romance by Lady Gaga" to help the set the scene before you enter and have your own attempt at speed dating. We think this haunt has such a different way to start with many comical and disgusting elements from the get go. The smells and scenes worked together the best in any attraction we have been in, with some parts being so realistic that you did feel uncomfortable. The attraction had some perfect jump scare moments and used the lighting and sound effects to time these even better with the actors. Several water effects did get you unexpectedly as you made your way through the sewers and toilets. The actors were very energetic and had such power with their performance all the way through. By the time you get to the end, you leave with that typical ending coming straight for you. As much as it was expected from hearing it in the queue line, the tension building up to it really works for them and works perfectly for this attraction. Overall, a well created scare attraction which we hope to see back for 2018!
Themeing & Storyline: 9/10 | Actors: 8/10 | Scare: 7/10 | Overall: 24/30
Demonica
A portal to Demonica, a realm of tortured souls has been opened. Will you step in to the portal, blinded by the pitch black with the smell of sulphur, the rush of air and the screams of the damned? Are you brave enough to enter and risk your soul in the realm of Demonica?
Brand new for 2017 and joining a very strong line up, we were interested to see how this would fit in to what they already had. Based on demons, it was very creepy starting from the queue line again, With great tension music and red lights leading all the way up to the entrance. The themeing outside is what really stood out from us. The entrance sign was well created and probably one of the best we seen in terms of logos for horror attractions. Also, the start of the attraction, we had to walk up to a building with 4 doors, which we had to cross over a river for and had fire effects on the roof of the building. Inside, the attraction was very bare in themeing, which most rooms being just pitch darkness. Which works for them and the demon theme. Spending most of the maze being lost, blinded and wondering where your group has gone, the demons made for some good jump scares. Being a decent length for a scare attraction, we think they could of done a little more with it to make it a quality attraction like the rest of the other scare attractions that they have. Overall, a great new addition to the event which works very well for them and hope to see it return with some changes to make it that top quality scare maze for 2018...
Themeing & Storyline: 6/10 | Actors: 6/10 | Scare: 6/10 | Overall: 18/30
Dia De Los Muertos
Many years ago villagers from Los Condanados celebrating the Day of the Dead festival entered the maize maze and never returned, the sounds of their laughter turning to screams.
Also new for 2017 and based on the day of the dead festival, it had one of the most unique themes going for it compared to most mazes this year. Starting the journey on a tractor and heading towards the festival, where we would have to make our own journey back after we had enjoyed the festival. Themeing was perfect for this attraction. They had it spot on, from the characters at the start being fun and funky, dancing away to 'despacito' and other party songs to several themed rooms spread around the maize maze. The actors are what this attraction needed to make it what it is. A mixture of comical characters and some serious scary festival lovers, to even some Mexican gangsters and masked wrestlers. This created for some great scares all the way through from the start. Hearing chainsaws as you go through the quiet and smokey maize maze, and them chasing you with IT, seeing what feels like an endless amount of chainsaws and you were nowhere even near the end. Overall, we think this is the best created and ran scare attraction of 2017 compared to everything we have personally done. Everything just works perfectly, with a great and unique story, some comical characters and a fun start to the attraction, and by the end being so terrified from being chased out by a guy physically running at you with a chainsaw.
Themeing & Storyline: 10/10 | Actors: 10/10 | Scare: 10/10 | Overall: 30/30
Screamfest Burton is one of the best events we have gone to this year with some great stand out attractions compared to other events. We like to thank Screamfest Burton for inviting us down and allowing us to get some exclusive images for you to see. We cannot wait for 2018 and this will be one event we will definitely be returning to!
