The UK’s largest festival of live horror performance returns this autumn for its 9th year of cult, comedy and classic stories that will send a shiver down your spine.
This year’s London Horror Festival will be expanding over two venues and three theatre spaces to bring a programme of more than 30 shows. Once again, the suitably spooky Old Red Lion Theatre will play host with two brand-new full-length productions seeing you through Halloween. Alongside the Red Lion, the festival will be slithering its way through Islington to join forces with the Pleasance Theatre.
This year, the festival is honoured to have playwright David Pinner, the author of Ritual (the novel that inspired the classic cult movie The Wicker Man), present the world premiere of his play Edred, The Vampyre at the Old Red Lion. His soon-to-be modern horror classic will cast a gothic shadow over the theatre from Monday 28th October to Saturday 2nd November.
Between Tuesday 8th and Saturday 26th October, the Old Red Lion will be re-united with former (deceased) residents via The Knock Knock Club’s docu-play Last Orders. A blending of fact and fear, the Knock Knock Club have created a show based on the haunted folklore of the 600 year old pub and the paranormal investigations they have conducted throughout the building over the past few months.
Alongside these productions, the Horror Festival will have an eclectic programme of shows by new and established horror companies, taking over the Pleasance Theatre’s Main House and Stage Space between Tuesday 8th and Friday 25th October.
Festival Patron Nicholas Vince (Chatterer in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and Kinski in Nightbreed), brings his first one-man show to the stage in I am Monsters!, an autobiographical exploration of monsters and what it means to be an actor in the genre.
The Milkman Cometh by DeadPlant Theatre aims to sour your semi-skimmed hopes and dreams with its grotesque horror comedy tale of demonic milk-deliverers, accompanied by a live metal band. More horror comedy appears in the form of multi-award winning Casual Violence’s 10th Anniversary extravaganza (and final ever show) Hang The Suits, as they bring the best of their deranged sketches in this double-bill event.
Horror Cabaret is also in full swing this year with Nevermore Theatre’s Serial Killer Cabaret, The Bitten Peach’s Not Another Asian Horror and PopHorror’s drag slasher panto He’s Behind You!, bringing some showbiz glam to the genre.
Those looking for genuine terror will find solace with interactive horror Cult from ONEOHONE Theatre Co. and festival favourites House of Macabre’s new shocker What The Dolls Saw; alongside critically-acclaimed Hermetic Arts’ uncanny Anthology, and Chamber Piece Theatre’s compendium of frightening tales Late Night Horror.
This year’s festival will also be aiming to increase representation and support for LGBTQIA+ writers within the genre through their annual playwriting competition, focusing entirely on Queer Horror Writers. The winner will be unveiled to the public on the 25th October.
When: 8th October – 2nd November 2019
Where: Pleasance Theatre and The Old Red Lion Theatre in London
£: Ticket prices vary, depending on the show
More info: www.londonhorrorfestival.co.uk