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Ryan Simons

Shock Horror: An Interview with Writer and Director Ryan Simons

With Shock Horror taking Northern Stage audiences on a haunted adventure in October, Writer and Director Ryan Simons takes us out of the dark (for now!), by revealing all about the genre of horror theatre, and the inspiration behind the chilling show.

 

Man reaching his hand out towards a door

What goes into a multimedia production? 

Ryan: A lot of planning and expertise. Horror cinema and horror theatre are guided by slightly different rules, one by pictures, the other by words. Fusing those genres together has been a real challenge for our creative team, both with lighting for projection and live interaction with the horror on screen. We’ve spent hours planning and rehearsing to overcome those challenges and create a horror experience that chills to the bone.

Woman pouring liquid out of a large red tin can

Which ghost stories and horror films struck inspiration for the show?

Ryan: The stage version of Woman in Black inspired Alex Moran to produce the show; he first watched it at the age of fifteen and was absolutely terrified. When he approached me to write and direct, I brought my love of Psycho, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining and many other horror classics that kept me awake at night. When we sat down to develop the story, Alex suggested a cinema as a setting and everything that scared us fell into place.

Director looking over camera man's shoulder into screen of the camera, whilst another man crouches on the floor

What’s special about creating horror theatre, in comparison to other genres?

Ryan: Horror theatre is so immediate, you can almost reach out and touch it. Amazing worlds can be created on screen, but we’re all aware of what can be achieved with VFX. Theatre relies on something much more terrifying – the imagination. Shocking illusions that make the impossible possible and a story that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats makes Shock Horror an experience you won’t forget.

Herbert grew up in the Metropol. The eerie old cinema was his playground and prison – a place where endless late-night horror films were his only window to the world. Now Herbert’s back at the abandoned cinema, searching for answers to long-buried questions. But for him, and for you, the real horror has only just begun… 

Inspired by classic theatre ghost stories and cinema’s greatest frights, Shock Horror is a chilling journey into a haunted past. Combining live performance and big-screen action, it’s full of shivers, shrieks and shocking revelations.

Book your tickets for Shock Horror, showing at Northern Stage on 15-16 October.