The song “Happy Birthday” isn’t one you would normally associate with Halloween, but seeing as this year marks the 20th anniversary of Thorpe Park’s annual ‘Fright Nights’, hearing said-song seasoned with a nightmarish twist seems about right. The night of October 6th was Thorpe Park’s VIP preview of the Halloween-themed event, and to say the park put on one ‘hell’ of a party is a fitting summary – and we’re here to bring you all the gory details.
Axe-wielding maniacs, zombie scarecrows and werewolf cheerleaders? Here’s our review of Thorpe Park’s Fright Night…
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains in depth details and photos of this year’s Fright Nights Event at Thorpe Park.
The Monsters
To no surprise, Fright Night is teeming with the undead – although strangely, despite the event having the same name as a cult classic ‘80s film, there were actually no vampires in sight. There were, however, plenty of other nightmarish nasties. From zombified soldiers to murderous clowns, monsters come in all shapes and sizes at Thorpe Park’s annual horror-thon. Whether it’s a scare zone, scare maze or one of the open rides such as Saw – The Ride, you’ll have to be on your guard as actors have well and truly perfected the artform.
As soon as you step onto the bridge after park check-in, you’re greeted by monstrous scarecrows who aren’t afraid to get up, close and personal. But this isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of them – they also appear outside the entrance to Colossus, and in The Crows, a spooky maze appropriately comprised of cornfields and haybales. When found in larger groups, they perform something of a scarily synchronised routine, giving you plenty of opportunities to whip out your camera (provided you’re happy to stay still while they loom closer with each step).
Meanwhile, over at The Swarm, whose surroundings have been suffocated in an eerie fog, you’ll encounter intimidating zombified police officers. If you thought Thorpe Park was strictly undead-themed, though, you’d be wrong. There’s an insane clown posse (pun very much intended) who look like they’ve taken fashion tips from the criminal inhabitants of Gotham City (specifically those who answer to the Joker and Harley Quinn), and many of them even wield baseball bats (which makes you question the real meaning behind the name of their show, ‘Birthday Bash’).
A family of blood-soaked hillbillies can also be found roaming around, courtesy of ‘Creek Freaks Unchained’. And just when you thought Fright Nights had no more tricks up its sleeves, there are even werewolf high school students – cheerleaders and jocks, to be specific – who are partying against the backdrop of neon-lit school buses. These students attend Lycanthrope High, and the show they’re putting on for their unsuspecting victims is ‘Love Bites’ – very appropriate. While there is something very Teen Wolf about this performance, these actors are perhaps the most intimidating of the bunch.
Overall, many of the actors have clearly gone method, and their ability not to break character is impressive. With that said, unless you scare easily, these ghost and ghouls are probably more likely to make you feel uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons. Screaming in your ear, interrogating you and engaging you in weird and wonderful conversations isn’t necessarily frightening – it’s just a bit awkward. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say these guys definitely don’t have stage fright…
Scare rating: 6/10
Fun rating: 8/10
Other Fright Night Features
The Fright Nights event isn’t just about surface level design – the actors and the attractions and so on – it’s also about the intricacies: there are scarecrow crosses adorning lakesides and entrance ways (some with scarecrows attached, others scarily lacking); areas that surround attractions such as The Swarm are choked in fog; “Happy Birthday” plays with a Halloween-ish twist; and there are tasty treats that include many tricks, such as candyfloss with edible spiders, blood bag cocktails and monstrous doughnuts each with hilariously-themed names such as Tinchy Spider and Candy Man!
As for the actors, no inch of flesh has been left unturned – their prosthetics and costumes make them appear as authentic as their Hollywood counterparts, and in your own neighbourhood would likely scare the pants off you. That’s not to suggest they aren’t frightening here – while we did suggest that an encounter can feel more awkward than anything, you’ll still find yourself going out of your way to avoid them if you’re lucky enough to see them coming first. And their scare zones compliment them well, expanding upon their fancy-dress themes to create little pocket realms of the macabre.
One of the signature experiences of Thorpe Park Fright Nights are the scare mazes, and if its scares you’re after then they’re a must. This year they include Creek Freak Massacre, Platform 15 and Trailers, with Trailers being the main event. While of course they vary massively in theme, the mazes all share the same concept, and rely heavily on walking around in the dark with actors jumping out on unsuspecting guests. However, those with any form of photosensitivity – or any neck or back problems – should steer clear, as they are likely to be nauseated for all the wrong reasons.
If this isn’t something that bothers you, though, then consider yourself lucky, but for a handful of people these scare mazes are automatically ruled out, which is extremely disappointing given the vast appeal of these exclusive Fright Nights experiences. With that said, if you find that your morbid curiosity gets the better of you, and you’re willing to brave a maze despite the insane levels of strobe lighting, then we highly recommend Platform 15 – while there is still some strobe lighting, it’s only briefly at the end of the experience. As for Trailers and Creek Freak Massacre, let’s just say that darkness isn’t the real issue in these mazes.
There’s a lot of detail to take in as you explore the park, which is easy enough to do even while you’re being harassed and hunted by half-turned hellhounds. And the fact this all takes place once the sun goes down only enhances the atmosphere. The only real downside where details are concerned is that the signage isn’t as obvious as it should be – especially considering it’s dark. But once you manage to find everything, it’s fair to say the devil really is in the detail…
Scare rating: 9/10
Fun rating: 8/10
The Rest of the Park After Dark
It isn’t just the scare mazes that you need be on the lookout for during Fright Nights – some of the parks major attractions are actually open for the evening. This year they are Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, Stealth, Saw – The Ride, The Swarm, Rush, Detonator, Samurai Vortex and Black Mirror Labyrinth. Getting on major rides isn’t easy at the best of times, so you might wish to make sure that you hit the Fright Nights specials before you end up losing valuable time queuing for an attraction that you’re able to enjoy at any other time of year.
However, if you insist on maximising everything Fright Nights has to offer, we recommend investing your time in Saw – The Ride and Black Mirror Labyrinth, both of which are specifically horror-themed as they’re based on popular movie franchises and TV shows which are scary enough from the comfort of your sofa. Nevertheless, if you’re lucky enough to make it on to one of the rollercoasters at night, then you’ll definitely get more out of the experience than you would during the day, especially with all the mayhem going on down below.
But if we’re speaking strictly about scare mazes, then Black Mirror Labyrinth is unmissable. This sensory-defying experience is hugely immersive, and unlike the other scare mazes, will stay with you long after.
Scare rating: 9/10
Fun rating: 8/10
Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights is open to the public Friday 8th – 10th & 15th – 31st October. To book tickets visit the Thorpe Park official website.
A bit like horror in modern cinema, Thorpe Park Fright Nights relies heavily on jump scares, loud noises and special effects. On the other hand, it is a Halloween event, and there are plenty of tricks and treats in store, so theme park-goers and scare-junkies alike are guaranteed to enjoy thrills and chills. While Thorpe Park is laid out in a circular fashion, it’s still worth grabbing a map or at least familiarizing yourself with where to find everything before you go, because this is the last place you want to get lost in the dark…
