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Rising from the grave- the Edinburgh Horror Festival is the next big event to return
October 22nd - October 31st
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2021 has witnessed a number of large events returning to in-person performance and the latest to re-join live events is the Edinburgh Horror Festival. Running from October 22nd until Hallowe’en night, the Festival will feature a mix of digital shows online, live performances in the Banshee Labyrinth – Scotland’s most haunted Pub – as well as walking tours of the city ending with entry to the popular Edinburgh Dungeon.
Ash Pryce, co-founder and chair, was optimistic but cautious about the event returning. “It’s been a difficult 18 months for performers, in-person events were practically non existent for much of that time. Like of a lot of people we created on-line content and the 2020 Festival was almost exclusively online. This year is more of a hybrid approach and one we’re very keen to continue”
Pryce is adamant that digital theatre and shows should continue in some form even once full “normality” returns, believing that the added accessibility is good for acts and audiences alike. The Edinburgh Horror Festival is treating the digital shows as equally valid to in-person, something they feel hasn’t always been the case.
“For a lot of people digital was a stop gap, a ‘better than nothing’ approach” Said co-organiser Theresa Dewa, “but for others it allowed for greater creativity, and for audience- especially disabled folk - it allowed for many, many more options in terms of how they engage with the arts. To lose that would be criminal”
Digital shows this year include a live, via Zoom, performance of “William Shakespeare’s Tragical History of Frankenstein” a mash up of the Mary Shelley Gothic classic and the style of William Shakespeare. This adaptation of Mary Shelley’s tale is written by Ian Doescher - New York Times best-selling author of the William Shakespeare Star Wars series - and is produced by Some Kind of Theatre, Edinburgh’s literary theatre company who will also be touring their hit original production “The Grandmother’s Grimm” before coming to the Horror Festival with Frankenstein.
Live streamed horror gaming, interactive digital magic shows, storytelling and theatre help round out the digital offering.
In-person is of course where many will be eager to engage. Pryce will be leading one of the two horror themed walking tours which fuses the history of witchcraft and magic in the city with live Bizarre magic demonstrations. The second tour, a horror theme ghoulish delight will be led by stand-up comedian Alex Staniforth.
The Festival is excited to be back at The Banshee Labyrinth and have a dozen new, live and in-person shows heading to the underground vaults for Hallowe’en weekend.
Returning shows include the 2019 sell out hit “The Ritual” offering you an invitation to revel in the company of vampires once again, and Edinburgh’s longest running variety night “The Freakeasy” returns.
New productions will include Michael Daviot, one of Edinburgh’s most respected storytellers and actors with “The Devil’s Hour”, a collection of macabre delights penned by Poe, Bierce and Twain amongst others. As well as plenty of horror comedy, theatre and story telling delights.
As we saw with the Fringe in August, there is definitely a desire from audiences to get back to live, in-person events, and the Edinburgh Horror Festival is continuing with a steady return to physical performance. Of course restrictions and rules will still be in place and aside from the mandated rules relating to masks and the venue’s slightly lower capacity, acts have the option to have additional show specific restrictions
Pryce explains, “We wanted to make sure people felt safe and we weren’t jumping back in to total normality. A lot of people still aren’t comfortable with going out and we wanted to make sure acts and audiences can feel a little more comfortable coming to our shows. As such acts able to have additional restrictions for audiences coming to their shows. Some shows will be requiring proof of vaccination to attend so you should check out the programme for details of which do and do not. We’d also recommend reserving seats where possible”
The Edinburgh Horror Festival runs form Friday October 22nd to Sunday October 31st inclusive. Digital shows will be online from the start, with in-person events beginning on the 28th. Visit www.edhorrorfest.co.uk for more.
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NOTES & IMAGES
Venue: Online, the Banshee Labyrinth and Edinburgh Dungeon
Tickets: £0-£19.75
Dates: 22nd October - 31st October
Website: www.edhorrorfest.co.uk
For print quality images or further information please contact the press team on
admin@edinburghhorrorfestival.co.uk
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