Fright Fest! opens Wednesday 19th August at the Etcetera Theatre, posing the question of who will be the scariest monster at the theme park! Learn more about what you can expect:
1: What was the initial spark for Fright Fest? Is the show inspired by any real-life events?
I think the initial spark ignited about twenty-something years ago when Corey nearly peed his pants while on a haunted hayride. Those initial scares and experiences from childhood really stay with you. You really believe this scary creepy person in a mask is who they are pretending to be. But when you look back on those memories as an adult, you realize how silly it all is – it’s all an act. A bit like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard. What kind of person becomes a scare actor? A random kid just looking for a part-time job who might have a penchant for horror films? Or is this career a vocation?
2: Why set it in New Jersey?
There’s a short answer and a long answer here. The short answer here is that ‘Fright Fest’ is an annual event at Six Flags Great Adventure (a theme park, similar to Thorpe Park) in Jackson, New Jersey. It’s the last hurrah before the park closes for winter, and it historically was a spooky good time. It’s the overarching backdrop of the show. It’s why our characters are here in the first place – to audition for a role as a scare performer in the park.
The long answer is that three years ago, we (Corey & Jill) met in London during an ice-breaker activity at work. We had to line-up by birth cities, and as it turns out, we were born in the same city in central New Jersey and grew-up about 20 minutes from each other. It’s as if our friendship and creative partnership was fated! We both have separate first-hand experiences of going to Fright Fest and have so many similar core childhood memories that New Jersey had to be the backdrop of our first collaborative project. New Jersey gets such a bad rap (mostly due to the poor vista that most encounter when landing at Newark Airport!), but for a creative mind, it’s a treasure trove for inspirational material . Maybe someday we’ll write a follow-up to Fright Fest called “Drive Thru Safari” , there’s a literal drive-through zoo that sits in the shadows of Great Adventure and everyone in New Jersey has a funny or terrifying experience from that park.
We should note that the play is also set in 1996 – a time before the internet provided an escape from reality. For kids and teens, theme parks were that escape; particularly when you lived in suburban New Jersey. It also was a time where you had to show up to an open casting call, and you couldn’t just hide behind your phone in an uncomfortable situation with a stranger.
3: Is there a character you think audiences will most identify with?
The first iteration of our story had about five characters, but we paired it down to two, Billy and Mark (though they remain unnamed through the show). Everyone in the audience will likely identify with Billy or Mark, regardless of having any interest in acting or scare theatre. The relationship that develops between the two characters is something that everyone experiences at some point – being new, feeling vulnerable – wanting acceptance.
I think there’s something to be said too about both of these character’s experiences that are quite universal. We’ve all been new to something and also had experience and feeling threatened. Have you ever met someone for thirty minutes and they had a lasting impression on you?
4: What is the play truly about?
Taking risks. Ego. Being passionate about something others might consider unusual. Community. Two people navigating the fear that hangs above them in an audition holding room.
From Corey: I’ve also always enjoyed art about making art – or an artist’s process and I feel like this scratches the surface of a completely different type of art form and its parallels to theatre and acting. There’s something about taking things too seriously, success, and failure, all tied up with what it really means to be scared.
5: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating Fright Fest?
I can’t imagine anyone answering this question in any other way than “all of it!” From reliving childhood memories, to recalling/researching which songs were a hit in 1996, to collaboratively building a story that continues to make us laugh – we’ve loved every minute. But the best part, by far, has been seeing our actors, Joe and Ciarán, bring life to these characters that lived in our heads for so long in ways that we may not have originally imagined. Creating something and letting the magic of theatre wash over it? Unbeatable.
Fright Fest! opens Wednesday 19th August at the Etcetera Theatre. Many thanks to Jill Broderick for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
Max
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