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Behind the scenes at the scream park: fear, fainting, clowns – and ‘code brown’
At Norfolk’s ‘premier scare attraction’ there are ghouls, chainsaws, satanic cults and a haunted hospital. But what goes on behind the scenes?
‘We always say to the scare actors, you’re going to think the boys will be the worst. They are not.” Backstage at PrimEvil, billed as “Norfolk’s premier scare attraction”, park director Ben Francis is sharing the advice he gives each year to his new crop of performers, before they set out to give punters the fright of their lives – or at least their Saturday night. As Francis covers each demographic, he ticks them off on his fingers. Teenage boys “scream like banshees, and run in packs”. Teenage girls tend towards being unimpressed: “Do your scare and move on, because they will get nasty.” And mixed groups? “There will be an alpha and he’ll be wearing a North Face top.” Francis’s advice is to not waste time. “He will not react to anything … Aim for the weaker one at the back.”
This is part of the workplace induction at PrimEvil, one of many immersive “scream parks” that pop up across the UK in the lead up to Halloween. For about £40 a ticket, groups of all ages spend the night roaming themed attractions and being terrorised by actors and special effects. Though the risks are minimal, the spikes in heart rate are very real.
‘It’s the best form of therapy and you get paid to do it’ … park director Ben Francis
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© Photograph: Ali Smith/The Guardian
© Photograph: Ali Smith/The Guardian
© Photograph: Ali Smith/The Guardian
