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Coaster Kingdom: How exactly did you get into scare mongering? Was it a passion that slowly evolved, or did you identify a niche that needed to be exploited?

Lynton V Harris: I first created a show in New York called Madison Scare Garden, which played at Madison Square Garden from 1996 to 1999. It was purely an ‘entertainment’ business play, modelled around the success of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I had no passion or peculiar interest in horror, or scary entertainment per se.

CK: So, how competitive is the haunted house market, and how do you make sure that you stay one step ahead of the competition?

LVH: I believe that we have become the best producers of live, scary entertainment in the world because we do not subscribe to the ‘haunted house’ market. Instead, we use ‘scare’ as the entertainment device, and theme, like drama, romance, action, musical etc. Like Cirque Du Soleil’s vision of the circus, we have strived to reinvent the ‘haunted house’ as a show.

CK: Are there any particular qualities make an actor good at their job? Is it down to simple psychology, blatant ferocity, or is it more complicated than that?

LVH: Our training program, “Lynton V Harris’ Scare School”, which is approximately 40 hours, takes a whole range of different actors and performers, and trains them in the art of scare. There are many qualities that we look for, depending on the role. As an example, we are known to hire female dancers for out 3D experiences because of their great flexibility and movement skills. We call our actors ‘reaction engineers’.

CK: The British are renowned for their apathy towards Halloween. Was this something you are consciously aware of when you worked on attractions like The Freezer, Freakshow 3D and Terror of the Towers, did you have to tackle this indifference, or do your attractions sidestep the problem by being less about Halloween and more about just making people run for their lives?

LVH: All of the attractions that you mentioned could be anywhere at anytime, and do not use Halloween themes for their success. Again, we take the view that we are creating entertainment, so we are focused on the delivery, and the reaction of the audience. The Freezer for instance is such a cool attraction (with the right cast!), and looks nothing like a haunted house per se, but is probably the scariest experience that we have created. It works everywhere.

Laughter is probably our biggest emotional response

CK: What are the biggest obstacles and challenges you face as a scaremonger? Are there any consistent constraints you encounter from project-to-project?

LVH: Finding the perfect cast! Apathy from some clients who feel that anybody can do it. When we have set up an attraction or experience for someone, and then leave, they are quite often managed with less care than what we would expect, so quality control is our greatest challenge.

CK: What timescale does the production of a maze or haunted house have? How many people are involved with producing the attraction, and how involved do you get as CEO?

LVH: Our shows range from 100 square feet, to 75,000 square feet, so production of our experiences depends on size. I am involved as the Creative Director on all our projects, and as CEO for the deal making. My business partner, Edward Michitsch, heads up the physical production of the shows.

CK: How involved do your clients get? How does it vary from project to project?

LVH: It varies, although we are well regarded and trusted due to our worldwide experience and reputation.

CK: What exactly is involved producing a haunted house? Presumably there are rehearsals; what is involved in these, and what kind of things are normally changed before the maze opens?

LVH: We do not refer to our attractions and experiences as a ‘haunted house’. They are theatrical shows that require all of the same disciplines that any live stage show requires, and then some… the actors are working in the dark, and up extremely close to a moving audience! It’s a recipe for disaster if not taken seriously. Continues...