Beware: This is a review of a past Halloween event. Therefore, do not use it as a basis upon which to preview the same event this year, and please note that the event may not necessarily be taking place this year. Please use our guide for an overview of this years' Halloween attractions. 

Fright Nites, Thorpe Park (2003)

Confucius say: “Man presented with something unbroken should not attempt to fix it”

Whilst most Halloween events around Europe presented parks at their best, during Fright Nites Thorpe Park was at its very worst.

It was last year that Fright Nites became another string to Thorpe’s bow, and now that Fright Nites have become annual, new attractions have been added to the programme (Horror Movie Bites show) and the park opens at lunchtime allowing the park to stay open well after the sun has set. Furthermore, we’re promised that Freezer is ‘more chilling’ and 3D Freakshow is ‘even freakier’. Considering last years’ event was a triumph, it’s difficult to visit without high hopes.

Fright Nites open from half term to the end of the season meaning crowds are inevitable and almost unavoidable. Furthermore, visitors are hardly the pride of Britain, generally being two-legged amoebas dressed in tracksuits, walking with a cocky stride threatening all and sundry with anti-social behaviour.

To Thorpe’s credit, extra security was laid on, bag searches operated at the entrance and the old bill even made a presence towards the end of the event. But, despite these measures, Thorpe Park seemed to be completely out of control.

Ignoring rumours of incidents involving fireworks and knives, I personally witnessed queue jumping to the level that you could be forgiven for thinking it was an Olympic sport, cannabis smoked as if it were legal and many shutdowns on the mazes due to actors being punched and attacked. Despite their very best efforts, the park seemed to be run by 18-year old thugs, not the park management.

Of course, it would be wrong to expect the park to be looking its best with thousands of thugs, but it’s also surprising that Thorpe Park have decided not to decorate any of the park what so ever, instead relying on the three extra rides, additional music around the park and the promise of night riding to carry the Fright Nites name.

Freezer and Freakshow are both on par for 2003, although any improvements made are a sidestep as opposed to a marked improvement.

Freezer is a chaotic and gritty walkthrough offering excellent levels of acting and some fraught moments. Improvements have been made to the scenery, dead ends removed (meaning higher capacity, and less chance to run into other groups) and actors supplied by a theatrical company as opposed to Sudden Impact!, the American specialists in all things scary.

The changes to Freakshow are subtle to say the least. Like Freezer, acting talent is from elsewhere, although it is a bit rich saying that it is ‘freakier’ than 2002 as all that is offered are a few cosmetic changes here and there.

Whilst last year Freezer ranged from good to incredible, this year the levels of scares are more consistent, settling for being very good. The type of thrill offered by Freezer is very different this year; actors play better roles, focusing less on making you jump. Freakshow is more eye candy, ironically offering more jumps as the actors use the scenery to become virtually invisible.

New for 2003, produced by Universal and Dreamworks, Horror Movie Bites. If not taken too seriously, Horror Movie Bites offers fairly mindless entertainment in the form of 20 minutes of film trailering the Ring and (the original) Texas Chainsaw Massacre with a bit of The Birds thrown in for good (and notably random) measure. Don’t expect some summer blockbuster, just expect fairly naff entertainment, and you’ll probably enjoy yourself.

Last year as the sun set, the park woke up offering a couple of hours dark riding as well as the Fright Zone (between the two mazes) and a few surprises elsewhere, too. This year, the only monsters found were around eighteen years old, often wearing Burberry baseball caps.

Fright Zone last year used the recesses on the pathway through Ranger Country as stages for several characters who would interact with passers-by. Elsewhere in the park you could find characters, even in shops. This year, strangely, Thorpe Park have chosen not to offer Fright Zone, more-over there are no characters what-so-ever throughout the park.

A lot of the music throughout Thorpe Park has been replaced with suitable Halloween music. Unfortunately, the Freezer theme (Midnight Syndicate; Forbidden Crypt) has been used to the point that instead of associating it with Freezer itself (as last year), it is now music overused on Vortex, Freezer, Ranger Country, Zodiac and the park entrance.

Admittedly, Forbidden Crypts and the other similar choices of music throughout the park are good choices resisting the urge to stick on some random Halloween Hits CD. Surprisingly, the Vampire music is also used around the park, which does reduce the impact of the music in its original context down the road on Chessington’s Vampire.

Whilst the music is appreciated in an already musical park, it does seem that it tries to add depth to an atmosphere that simply isn’t there. Fright Nites seems to be about night riding and three Halloween attractions, so it seems strange to go through the effort of playing music that's completely out of place - a wander through the brightly coloured Calypso Quay is accompanied by the sounds of piercing screams and distant footsteps as opposed to a tropical medley of steel drum music.

Whilst music is important, it should always be used in context. I’m sure the music would have more impact if used only on the Halloween attractions which are suited to such finishing touches as opposed to spreading it too thinly across the park.

Thorpe Park stays open long after the sun has set, although it’s worth noting that ride availability was at its very worst due to breakdowns. Loggers Leap was down (due, apparently, to low water levels in the lake), Vortex and Eclipse were both down, Colossus was down for half of the day due to the poor weather and most other rides went down at least once for an extended amount of time.

The park was lit well in places, although relied on rented diesel-powered flood lights elsewhere. Whilst some rides were lit fairly well (Inferno, Colossus, Quantum), others were consigned to darkness, Tidal Wave being the most disappointing. Even at best, lighting was typically Tussauds. Comparisons could be made against Oakwood who choose to light their rides beautifully, but I don’t want to complain too much.

Next year, Thorpe Park will be experimenting with high season late night openings during the summer where, like Fright Nites, the park’s hours will go way beyond the call of duty. This of course leaves it up to the mazes alone to really carry the banner of ‘Fright Nites’, and with the park appearing to be completely out of control with regards to policing anti-social behaviour and ensuring the availability of major rides, it may take the extra entertainment of 2002 and at least some effort with regards to decorating the park to make the event the must-do event that it was in 2002.  

MS 31 October 2003

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