AtmosFEAR! Park Profile Feature in ‘Park World’

Park World – the amusement attractions industry’s leading print and online media publication devotes two pages to AtmosFEAR!’s www.atmosfearuk.com ‘Scare Kingdom’ attraction in the December 09/January 10 issue.  Editor Owen Ralph visited Scare Kingdom in October 2009 and endured a guided tour of the creep filled haunts ‘Dead Alive’, ‘Blood Bath’ and ‘Hubble Bubble’ while the attractions were not open to the public. 

The profile charts some of AtmosFEAR!’s history as the UK’s first, and biggest,  haunted entertainment and scare attraction production company, which is celebrating ‘Ten Years of Fear 2000 – 2010′ this year.

Owen Ralph, Editor of 'Park World', with a bunch of denizens at Scare Kingdom

While at the park, Owen met icon street theatre characters ‘King Morbius’ and ‘Queen Mortavia’ as well as a band of scareactors from the various attractions who gave him a taste of the full experiences offered by the park.  AtmosFEAR! were delighted that such a prestigious publication took the time to visit Scare Kingdom, you can read the profile in the magazine or online at www.parkworld-online.com and find details of Scare Kingdom at www.scarekingdom.com

Scare Kingdom will open once again in the 2010 scare season (October/November) with 5 brand new indoor and outdoor attractions and shows for children, families and thrill seekers!  Details of the 2010 attractions will be released in the Spring via the park’s Facebook and Twitter groups at http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=51264966335&ref=search&sid=757616203.1675828154..1 and http://twitter.com/AtmosFEARUK don’t forget to register with www.scarekingdom.com to receive the latest updates, news and discounted entry codes for 2010, and if your interested in working with AtmosFEAR! to make Scare Kingdom 2010 even bigger than last year, send your details and a cover email to info@atmosfearuk.com

The Pirates of Pasty Bay

 

Over the last few months a motley band of seafaring pirates have been marauding around various cities in the UK as part of a promotional campaign to raise brand awareness for The West Cornwall Pasty Company.  Commissioned as a special project from AtmosFEAR! Street Theatre, the tawdry trio are based on two characters from pirate history, matched with a generic crew member.

‘Captain Henry Killigrew’, thinks he is in charge of their quest for the illusive ‘golden pasty’, but in reality his bawdy wench wife ‘lady Mary Killigrew’ seems to be bossing them all around!  Making up the trio is ’skull’ ‘Duggery’ the bungling boatswain.  Together the pirates have left their fine sea vessel ‘The Penzance Pearl’ in Pasty Bay, Cornwall, and are trying to find an ancient treasure in the form of a pasty which never reduces in size no matter how much is consumed!

The characters were bespoke creations by AtmosFEAR! Imagineering and costumed in-house by Maggie Murray.  The performance was written and directed by Creative Producer Jason Karl and Producers Gary Oke and Monica Vaness.  Three seperate skits were developed including a comedy introduction, a ’swear-in’ (not swearing!) of new ship mates and a pirate ‘Pasty Dance’, with lots of opportunity for audience interaction.

The Pirates of Pasty Bay have performed in Lincoln, Chester, Cirencester and Reading and have been featured in several newspapers and on ITV local news – watch out for them in a town near you very soon!

Scare-E TV Showcases AtmosFEAR! Street Theatre

AtmosFEAR!’s quirky and creepy band of ghoulish Street Theatre characters are featuring in a new episode of ‘Scare Tactics’ on Scare Entertainment Television – www.scare-e.tv – the UK’s only online TV channel dedicated to the scare entertainment industry.  The show lets viewers glimpse behind the scenes at the development and rehearsal stage of the projects development. 

The Street Theatre characters launched in 2009 have become increasingly popular and have been booked to appear at various venues and events over the last year including Warwick Castle, the NEC in Birmingham, the streets of Lincoln, Cirencester, Chester, Reading, an old inn on the Yorkshire moors and a shopping mall in Preston!

CREEPY, FREAKY, STRANGE & SPOOKY!

We have a monstrous medley of ghoulish misfits who can be hired out to mix and mingle with guests at events and parties, entertain queue lines or promote product launches.  Our Street Theatre scare characters can bring a private function to life, entertain customers in a shopping mall or enhance a product launch; they also provide a popular photo opportunity for your guests. 

Using large scale puppets, elaborate costumes and prosthetic makeup, we can supply from our existing character pool; or custom design new characters around your theme or brief.  Street Theatre characters can be hired individually or as part of a ghoulish group, and are tailored to a ‘scare factor’ appropriate for your audience. 

AUDIENCE CATEGORIES

Our Street Theatre characters fall into three audience suitability categories; ‘Young’, ‘Family’ and ‘Adult’.  Young audience characters are friendly and spooky, rather than ‘scary’.  Family characters are suitable for children and adults, they are a little more alarming than young audience characters, but the content of their performance is suitable for all ages.  Adult characters are both frightening and funny; their performance content may include adult material.

RATES OF HIRE & FURTHER DETAILS

Rates for hiring our Street Theatre characters depend on a variety of factors including geographic location, time of day, day of the week and number of characters hired.  Please contact us for a specific quote without obligation, providing us with these provisional details.  Characters perform in full makeup and costume and require a secure private space to apply makeup and get changed before the performance begins.  Performers require 15 minute breaks every 60 minutes of performance times. 

You can meet our monstrous menagerie now at www.atmosfearuk.com – click ‘Street Theatre’ to watch video examples of each character, a few examples are featured below.

AtmosFEAR! Watched By 6 Million Viewers on BBC1’s ‘Countryfile’ Show

Scare Kingdom Scream Park crept open for the BBC  recently as ’Countryfile’ descended on the attraction to shoot a segment for the show which is regularly watched by over 6 million viewers.

Presenter Matt Baker opted to take the twisted path through the eerie 8-acre cornfield attraction, ‘Dead Alive’, while co-presenter, Julia Bradbury, was petrified as she ventured into the indoor horror haunt, ‘Blood Bath’, and came out screaming!

Scare Kingdom’s band of frightening characters brought the scare attractions to life for the two presenters who said they had a very fun, yet very, scary time, at Scare Kingdom.

Julia Bradbury meets 'Daemion Strange - The Pumpkin Man'

As well as journeying through our two evening scare attractions the film crew sampled the delights of Mrs Dowson’s famous Ice Cream including her special bone chilling Halloween flavour, which will be on sale at The Greedy Gargoyle Cafe at Scare Kingdom, throughout the parks 2009 opening times.

Matt Baker emerged genuinely terrified after experiencing the 'Blood Bath' attraction!

The show aired on Sunday, October 25, on BBC 1, at 7.00pm, and showcased a varity of characters and sets from the attractions without giving away too much detail or spoiling any of the surprises the park has in store for guests.  If you missed it you can watch it below for a scary glimpse inside Scare Kingdom Scream Park.

Scare Kingdom Scream Park will re-open for the 2010 scare season in October 2010 with brand new attractions for children, families and thrill seekers.  Visit www.scarekingdom.com for full details and to register for updates and special offers.  Follow us on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=51264966335&ref=ts or follow us on Twitter here http://twitter.com/atmosfearuk

Haunted Houseguests promote AtmosFEAR! in ‘Lancashire Life’

 

A ghoulish gaggle of motley misfits descended on Creative Producer Jason Karl’s historic home for a photoshoot promoting AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions and Scare Kingdom Scream Park in early Winter 2009.  The feature, which includes a tour around Jason’s haunted country home, includes a glimpse of some of AtmosFEAR’s ghastly characters including Chris Kerry as ‘Old Mother Strange’, Dee Sanders as ‘Fanny Haddock’, Mark Lofthouse as ‘William Hare’ and Jade Willis as ‘Tabitha Twisted’.

You can read the feature and see the accompanying lavish photography in the November edition of Lancashire Life magazine, or you can read the digital edition online here http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/DigitalEditions.aspx?tab=0&eid=ca6ae748-57d9-4d8d-8591-7155af4e4d26

*Photograph published here with kind permission from Lancashire Life/John Cocks.

AtmosFEAR! O-Scare Awards 2009

On Friday 27th November the AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions production and cast teams enjoyed a three course meal at September’s Champagne Bar and Restaurant in Blackpool which served as the location for this years ‘O-Scare Awards’ and as the wrap party for 2009.

2009 O-Scare Winners

Best Street Theatre Performer 2009, Street Theatre – LINDSEY ARMSTRONG

Best Newcomer, Dead Alive – DAVID NORRIS

Best Character Development, Dead Alive – NATHAN WALTON

Best Newcomer, Blood Bath – MIKE COLLIN

Best Character Development, Blood Bath – KEELY SMITH

Best Scareactor 2009 – DEE SANDERS

AtmosFEAR! Imagineer of the Year 2009 – MARK LOFTHOUSE

Devilish Fun in the Yorkshire Dales!

On Saturday 21st November cast members from AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions made a surprise appearance at The Station Inn, Ribblehead, providing eerie ambience for an evening of vampish fun!  Visiting guests were invited to take part in ‘Vampyre Hunt’ as they were made to explore the dark hallways of the old haunted inn while a gaggle of ghouls awaited them in the dark.

Street Theatre performers Jade Willis as ‘Fangda’ and Mike Collin as ‘Scarduke’, mingled with the inn’s guests and provided some spooky entertainment and an alternative photograph opportunity.  The evening was a taste of things to come, keep your eye on the AtmosFEAR! mother site at www.atmosfearuk.com for more details soon!

The Soulstice is Coming…

There’s a theatrical treat in store at Smithills Hall this Christmas as the stunning Grade 1 listed medieval hall becomes the setting for a brand new Christmas theatre show by AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions.  ‘Soulstice: A Twisted Tale of Two Seasons’ is premiering in the atmospheric surroundings of the magnificent Smithills Hall. Performances will take place in the Great Hall at Smithills Hall on Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December at 7pm and 8.30pm.  Book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

The twisted tale of ‘Soulstice’ is based on ancient yuletide theatrical traditions and will feature characters including ‘Robin Goodfellow’, ‘Jack Frost, ‘Dame Seasons’, ‘Old Father Nick’, ‘Dr Dee’ and ‘Beelzebob’. As well as the traditional themes of death and resurrection there will be a strong message of hope and celebration at Christmas – all of this delivered by AtmosFEAR!’s band of ‘Macabre Mummers’ with great humour and wit.

The production is based on traditional seasonal folk plays performed by troupes of actors known as ‘mummers’ or ‘guisers’ (performers in disguise). They were traditionally performed during Christmas time.  Mummers and guisers can be traced back to the middle-ages, though when the term ‘mummer’ appears in medieval manuscripts it is rarely clear what sort of performance was involved. However, a key element was visiting people in disguise.

The plot of each play generally involves a battle between two or three characters, representing good and evil. Usually they include a doctor who has a magic potion which is able to resuscitate a slain character. Occasionally, the performers will wear face-obscuring hats or other kinds of head-gear, creating the impression of being masked. ‘ Soulstice’ is based on this traditional plot. 

Tickets are £8 for adults, and £6 for children and concessions. To book please call the Albert Halls box office on 01204 33 4400. Please note, all children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult, and performances include darkness and sudden loud noises. People will be required to stand during the duration of the performances, but unreserved chairs will be available for those who need them, and light refreshments can be purchased.

‘Soulstice’ will premiere at Smithills Hall, and will transfer to further historic venues for the Christmas season in 2010.  For more information visit www.atmosfearuk.com

Scare Kingdom Scream Park – Lancashire’s Scariest Halloween Entertainment Venue Opens in October 2009

‘Scare Kingdom Scream Park’, the UK’s newest Halloween scare entertainment venue will open in October 2009. Hosted at Hawkshaw Farm Park, on the A59 between Blackburn and Preston, it has been developed and produced by ‘AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions’ www.atmosfearuk.com – the UK leaders in independent location based scare entertainment. Following the sell out success story of last years ‘HEX in the Harvest’, hosted at the same venue last Halloween, AtmosFEAR!, lead by TV presenter and author Jason Karl, have been working on Scare Kingdom for the past 10 months, and have stepped up the fright factor for 2009 with new special effects, more live actors and even more terrifying attractions for thrill seekers and families!

PREPARE TO BE SCARED!

During the October half term, Scare Kingdom opens daily and delivers Halloween fun with everyone in mind. For children under 10 – ‘Hubble Bubble: A Spellbinding Trick or Treat’ is a 45 minute interactive theatrical experience. Featuring songs and games that will enthral youngsters, friendly witch sisters ‘Toil and Trouble’ will cook up a spell to keep everyone entertained. After the show, why not try and navigate the ‘Wicked Witches Corn Maze’?

At night the Kingdom comes alive with two headlining terrifying scare attractions that will leave guests screaming for more! For families and young adults – ‘Dead Alive: Legend of the Pumpkin Man’ – amid the 8 acres of rotting mist covered cornfields lay the ruins of Strangleweed Hollow, in its day a booming town where many made their fortunes during the gold rush. Now nothing more than a ghost town… This 40 minute fright fest begins at Mother Strange’s old decaying farmhouse, here she waits, night after night still longing for her long lost son who disappeared into the fields so long ago – the Pumpkin Man!

For thrill seekers and families – ‘Blood Bath; the Mad Doctor will see YOU now!’ – in the heart of a derelict war bunker, long since forgotten, a diabolical doctor – Cornelius Van Der Blood, has set up his secret blood soaked chamber. Evicted from Gaunt Hill Asylum under a cloud of accusations and rumours of unspeakable deeds, he is now continuing his bizarre and twisted experiments deep underground, away from prying eyes, where the screams of his ‘patients’ cannot be heard…

ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS

In addition to the headlining attractions, Scare Kingdom will offer a variety of additional attractions designed to ensure guests have an experience to remember; ‘Sir Scare-a-Lot’ – imported from the USA especially for Scare Kingdom, this impressive projection special effect is a speaking statue that delivers grave advice with a sinister sneer. ‘Moaning Mordred’ – entombed inside his ivy clad tomb, Mordred whispers twisted tales and ghoulish gags for guests to listen too while they eat. ‘Street Theatre’ – come face to face with the Undead Court as King Morbius and his legion of frightening fiends roam the dark pathways of Scare Kingdom each night. ‘Frightful Photography’ – have your photograph taken with our creepy character as a scary souvenir. Extra cost £1 per person. ‘The Greedy Gargoyle Café’ – enjoy a Halloween treat from our selection of themed cakes, soups, sandwiches and drinks. Extra charges apply.

BACKSTORY

Scare Kingdom Scream Park is based on the mythical tale of Morbius Blackscar, the tyrannical self proclaimed King of the undead realm, who has returned to his throne eight centuries after his kingdom was destroyed. Through Asmodeus’ enchanted mirror, his legion of terror invades dreams, searching for twisted nightmares which manifest in his new world; no longer Scar’s Kingdom but Scare Kingdom – The Land Where Nightmares Never End!

SCARES WITH AN EVEN BIGGER BANG!

On November 5th 1605 Guido Fawkes tried to destroy parliament in a secret gunpowder plot. Now he is back, centuries later, and will deliver scares with and even bigger bang for one special ‘Fireworks Phantasmagoria!’ featuring a professional fireworks display and bonfire. Come early and stay late as our evening attractions come to life for one last time this year, before Scare Kingdom closes its doors to dream up new nightmares for 2010! All other evening attractions will be operational. Operational on November 5th only.

NOW CASTING!

A cast of local performers will populate the Kingdom after undertaking AtmosFEAR!’s ‘Fright School’ monster training programme in early October, any interested performers should contact AtmosFEAR! imeediately by email info@atmosfearuk.com. Annie Cabasa – Makeup Designer from Preston-based ‘Facecrew UK’ will create a group of diabolical demons and rotting zombies to inhabit the park!

 TICKET SALES LINE  Ticketweb – 08444 77 1000 Tickets also available online through the Scare Kingdom website.

WEBSITE www.scarekingdom.com

LOCATION Hawkshaw Farm Park, (home of Mrs Dowson’s Ice Cream) Longsight Road, Clayton le Dale, Blackburn, Lancashire. BB2 7JA.

OPENING TIMES Exact opening times are posted daily on the Scare Kingdom website under ‘Opening Times’. The Kingdom will open during the evening on selected dates between Thursday October 22nd and Thursday November 5th 2009, it will open during the day on selected dates between Monday October 26th and Friday October 30th.

DISCOUNTED ENTRY Guests can register for discounted admission at www.scarekingdom.com to receive £2 off standard ticket prices.

VIP LAUNCH NIGHT Members of the press and media are invited to join special guests on Thursday 15th October for our VIP Launch Night, for tickets please contact Jane Willis PR (see below) with your name, contact number and the name of your publication, TV or radio channel (if applicable).

COMPETITIONS & PROMOTIONS We would be delighted to offer tickets and discounted entries to readers for press and media promotions, please contact Jane Willis PR (see below).

SPONSORS Scare Kingdom has been sponsored by a variety of local businesses, further details can be found on the Scare Kingdom website.

VIDEO TRAILER A video trailer giving a taste of the forthcoming park has been produced. This is available for using on any websites with video compatibility, please contact Jane Willis PR for further details (see below).

DIGITAL IMAGES A selection of images are available for press and media use, these can be obtained from Jane Willis PR (see below).

CONTACTS Jane Willis PR are handling PR for Scare Kingdom, email willisj@live.co.uk or call 07952 394674.

AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions www.atmosfearuk.com  

Scare Kingdom www.scarekingdom.com  

Hawkshaw Farm Park  www.mrsdowsons.co.uk

A New Happy Haunt!

With the ongoing success and popularity of AtmosFEAR! Street Theatre characters, we will be adding several new characters over the coming months. The latest addition to the troupe is ‘Haunted Henry’ a friendly costume character from the Tudor era who is available now for meet and greets and walkabout entertainment.

Perfect on his own or accompanying face character ‘Sir Humphrey Howling, he will delight with a fright!

Meet ‘Haunted Henry’ and ‘Sir Humphrey Howling’ in these video vignettes.