Fright Nights, Thorpe Park

As much as Thorpe Park try, some things at Fright Nights just never change.

In its fourth year, the park advertises two new mazes, one new show, as well as the triumphant return of Carnival of the Bizarre. While Carnival of the Bizarre makes an undoubtedly welcome return, so too do some ever-perennial niggles.

It is becoming something of a running joke that you can rely so much on Colossus breaking down during Fright Nights that you could advertise this as a Halloween special:

Colossus – Ride of the Vampyre: What will happen on this ride of doom? Will you make it up the lift hill of destiny? Or will you have to walk the steps of adversity back to the fiery depths of the station? Let the spirit of Intamin decide!

Joining Colossus in the corner of shame were Logger’s Leap (problems with lighting) and Detonator, both of which spent most of the evening down. That’s three major rides. Next year, though, Stealth – the 205ft Intamin Accelerator coaster – will be open, so it is likely this will take over the unreliability plinth from Colossus.

But onto Fright Nights...

Just like in other years, Thorpe Park focuses its efforts on the extra gratis attractions for Fright Nights, as opposed to currently unnecessary paraphernalia like theming. If you want that, go to Chessington, but if you want the actual substance, Thorpe Park awaits your custom.

This year, the walk-through haunted mazes Freakshow 3D and Freezer become Hellgate and The Asylum respectively. The Circus of Horrors returns to the Pirates 4D theatre, while in the arena is a new Halloween film show.

Considering the website says the park is ‘spooked up to the max’, there is little sign to suggest it isn’t anything but business as usual at Thorpe. While I don’t personally miss pumpkin-shaped bunting, there is absolutely no sign to suggest the event is actually on at all.

There are no special maps around the park like there have been at previous events showing you what’s on where, there are no leaflets and many of the attractions don’t really have signs per-se.

Carnival of the Bizarre is hard to miss, I have to admit. The Pirates 4D sail at the entrance has been replaced with a large banner adorned by a collage of freaks with the attraction name clear for all to see. The information board outside, though, doesn’t answer the obvious question – when are the shows, and how frequently?

The other show, the name of which I forget, is in the Arena. Walking up to the gates, they’re still closed, presumably awaiting nightfall. No information board here, or indeed any sign the show is even on, as the Stuntzmania hoarding is still up.

I’m sure the people at Guest Services will be able to help... or not. I must admit, I was hoping for a special Fright Nights leaflet, but all the information I could possibly want was helpfully stuck onto Guest Services’ desk on a normal park map with sticky Avery envelope labels with times and information handwritten.

For first time visitors this is a completely impossible situation. Arriving at the park, how is a guest supposed to know none of these attractions open until 4pm? How are they even supposed to know there is an event when you can’t find any of the entrances?

And how are they supposed to find them when Guest Services’ map with the locations stuck on is sticky-taped to the desk? What happened to What’s on Where posters around the park? Why no temporary signage? Leaflets? Anything?

Fright Nights is all about the actual attractions, as I’ve said, but the park projecting this sense of cluelessness into their flagship event is neigh-on unforgivable. How a park can show such contempt towards something that is clearly a licence to print money is something I just cannot bring myself to comprehend.

With a mental note of what’s on where, and when, and as the sun set, time to tackle the attractions.

Asylum and Hellgate were both first to open at 4pm. As you’ll learn, the event is basically all about the mazes. While Carnival of the Bizarre is an excellent addition, I always get the feeling this is the Quantum of Fright Nights, while the mazes are the Colossus and Nemesis Inferno. The queues definitely follow this philosophy.

Despite the criticisms aimed at the haphazard organisation of Fright Nights, both Asylum and Hellgate are the best incarnations of the two mazes the park have had since the opening year, Hellgate infact being a vast improvement over even Freakshow’s first year.

Asylum already had a queue of quite monstrous proportions before it had even opened, further enforcing the fact the park need more mazes, even on a comparably quiet day.

Fans of the Freezer will be happy to find that very little has changed. With the entrance on Ranger Showcase’s stage, you now go through the maze backwards, which offers a new sense of unfamiliarity even to those who know the layout off by heart.

There are a few new sets, too, which are all a welcome addition, and in general the theme has far more continuity than previously.

This year the actors seem a bit more reckless, which is definitely welcome. While playing the psychology card the last few years certainly creeps out those with a nervous disposition, there has been no sense of spontaneity with everything feeling to measured and predictable. Even for those who don’t scare easily, unpredictability is the key to making people jump.

This year, while not a patch on the first year, the actors are far more willing to jump up against fences and even run towards the back of the group. Thorpe’s mazes, to their credit, have made sure that most people get scares in equal doses. While Passaje Del Terror forgets all but those at the back, don’t think you’re going to get away too easily by cowering in the middle of the group on Asylum.

Hellgate, meanwhile, gives a fresh lease of life to Freakshow 3D. Out of the two mazes, Freakshow has always been the poorer cousin, but Hellgate attempts – and arguably succeeds in some people’s eyes – in turning the tables.

A moment’s silence for Freakshow’s 3D effects, please. Although in the first year the 3D paintings on the wall and floor were amazingly effective, over time they lost their impact and were virtually 2D by last summer.

Instead, new theming has statues, gothic chandeliers and stone effect walls, so there is no need to don the 3D specs, as everything is really 3D I suppose.

I took the claims of a new maze with a pinch of salt. I knew people with creative finesse were behind the project, but I also knew the accountants would be signing the cheques, and in Tussauds fashion this is where the great ideas are left on the cutting room floor.

The acting talent on Hellgate this year is excellent, and compliment the gothic theming really well. The explanation of the legend is done in a darkened corridor before you are batched up and is sadly wasted due to the dull roar of people inside the queue.

The attraction, though, is excellent. With tight corridors virtually all the way through, the actors really use this to their advantage and often have groups cowering in the corner unwilling to move on.

The Show Which Has No Name™ never opened due to technical difficulties. Two members of staff were outside informing any disappointed people, although in actuality nobody knew it was there. It wasn’t as if the park has made a song or dance about it, after all.

Over in Calypso Quay, meanwhile, Carnival of the Bizarre played to full houses as far as I could see. Improved lighting from last year was the only visible improvement, with some rather cringe-worthy stunts wowing (read: horrifying) the abashed audience.

Carnival of the Bizarre is such a wonderful addition to Fright Nights. It is genuinely grotesque in places, even if you’re towards the back of the auditorium, and although there is a £2 charge (something else that isn’t very well advertised), it is something you should definitely make time to see, even if you spend much of the show with your eyes closed screaming.

Looking at the event in general, it is really only the park’s sloppy marketing and organisation that lets it down. Cast your eyes over our Tulley’s Farm review to see how a small countryside attraction effortlessly teaches Tussauds a lesson or two.

Along with the only mention of The Show Which Has No Name™ being handwritten on a sticky label in Guest Services (nothing on the park website, the map, at the show entrance, indeed, anywhere), there seems to be a complete unawareness on park with regards to Fastrack with even some Admissions staff unaware of its existence.

While Chessington’s Halloween Hocus Pocus seems to have hit a plateau somewhere above average, Fright Nights seems to be improving year-on-year, but that doesn’t mean to say it too has to plateau as it still has a lot of potential for the future.

More mazes are vital to Fright Nights’ success in my opinion, and the park really need to capitalise on the event by marketing it properly and making sure that once you’re in the park you are well advised as to what is on where.

But the backbone is there; solid and frankly terrifying mazes, as well as a show that will have you carving gorges in your shoes with your toes. Hopefully this doesn’t represent the peak of Thorpe’s limitations, let’s hope it is the foundation for yet more exciting Fright Nights in the future.

MS 22 October 2005