News: Spooktacular Success

Release date: 2nd November 2011

A record-breaking number of zany zombies and ghoulish ghosts had the Halloween fright of their lives at a leading Midlands entertainment venue.

Over 500 thrill-seekers dressed up to take part in a thrilling adventure in Spooktacular 8 which has taken a year to create at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre.

Actors from the Birmingham Theatre School were drafted in for the first time to provide an unforgettable trip into the woods in Meriden Road, Fillongley, near Coventry complete with one or two scary surprises.

Laura Wells, sales co-ordinator at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre, said the spooky story had taken twelve months to create but the positive feedback had made it all worthwhile.

“We held Spooktacular 8 over three nights and attracted over 500 people which beat last year’s previous best of 439,” she said.

“The original idea came from managing director Stephen Hammon who had the skeleton of the plot and the Birmingham Theatre School gave it the flesh and bones. The actors were brilliant and their interaction with the guests was fantastic.

“The special effects, costumes and storyline were simply fantastic and we invested thousands of pounds in special effects, decorations and actors for three nights of chilling fun because we were determined to make it our best ever – and we achieved that.

“The spooky fun started in the car-park as visitors arrived when patients jumped out from the shadows.

“Guests were then ushered into the Halloween-themed Great Hall before they were invited to jump aboard a truck to uncover the truth about the fictitious Asylum.

“When arriving at the destination with only a rope to guide you to the Asylum, you ventured into The Asylum to view four of the crazy doctor’s techniques!
 
“Guests were asked to go with the doctor to find out what happened in the re-opened Asylum with four terrifying treatment rooms; there was a lot of jumping as one scene finished and another started behind you.

“It became more and more scary and everyone thought it had been great fun once their heart rate returned to normal!”

A three-course carvery was served and Halloween games ranging from apple bobbing to the electric chair were staged while champagne was awarded to guests with the best fancy dress.

Laura said at the witching hour of midnight, the cast from the Birmingham Theatre School returned to the Great Hall for a finale to the soundtrack of Marylyn Manson’s Tainted Love to give the audience a few more shocking surprises before their departure.

“Halloween is becoming more and more popular and we're establishing a great reputation as the place to go because of the amount of time and effort we put in to making sure everyone has a Halloween to remember,” she added. “We are already starting to plan next year’s Halloween extravaganza.”