We were given two free tickets to experience this years Scream Aloud. Whilst we were given the free tickets, we have full editorial control of what our review of the event says.
Our Slasher Review
In the New Forest lies Scream Aloud. This year they have six attractions in Burial Ground, Nocturnal, House of Dolls, Boot Camp, Ward 13 and Fannies Yard. House of Dolls and Ward 13 were the highlights with great sets, great scares and a level of intensity that was surprising. The event has had a lot of work put in over the last year and it shows.
Top Tips - Go In not expecting the big budgets of other events
Things That Bite - Needed a few more actors
Value for Money - It's a good night out for the money
Scare Rating - 3.5/5
Do We Recommend - Yes!
Our Stalker Review
Located between Brockenhurst and Lymington in the New Forest is Scream Aloud and we were kindly invited along to the FIP (Fannie’s Important People) night. I arrived to a sunset view of a big top and some fair ground rides. I checked in and was greeted by the utterly fabulous Dame Fannie Burns. She led us to the big top, posed for a picture and then led us to the special area they had created for their other guests for press night. The big top was a smoke filled dance house with roaming characters including Baby Burns Willy the Magician and Fluffy Burns. With it being press night we got a special welcome from Fannie and her roaming characters as they all ambushed the VIP area and run amok, terrorising and entertaining us. Fannie then cane out and exploded all over us with her giant confetti canons. It’s was a fun welcome. After a small wait, it was time to enter. This event is a linear event so you go through the attractions in a set order with a small queue at each attraction. We waited no more than 5 minutes at each queue.
First up was Burial Ground. It was a very simple hooded attraction that didn’t last long. Unfortunately it didn’t provide many scares but it was full of laughter and sarcastic comments which made the walk enjoyable. We reached the end and walked through a small grave yard section. For the locals, this would be the perfect starter for what was to come but for seasoned scare fans this might be a bit of a slow start.
Next up was Nocturnal. This was the first returning attraction from last year and you could immediately tell that the team had put in a lot of work. It still had exactly the same feel as last year with you having to walk amongst the trees in the dark but this year it was more lit up and the theming was in abundance. It felt more like a walk through set from an old timey woodland community. There was a couple of actors placed around but due to the openness of the attraction I would say it was more atmospheric than scary. What the two previous attractions did though was put you into a false sense of security for what lay ahead.
Next up was House of Dolls and for me this was one of two stand out attractions of the night. You get let into a house in small groups. A small scene plays and you’re asked if you would like a torch. Obviously we said yes but didn’t turn it on much. We turned it on to admire the detailed sets but tried to keep it off as much as possible. The sets are creepy as hell. As you walk through the attraction you came across loads of different types of dolls and other toys which are everything, even hanging from the ceiling. Because of the low lighting and distraction you will get admiring the scenery the actors use this to their advantage and really pounce when you are least expecting it and provided us with some really awesome scares.
Our fourth attraction of the night was Boot Camp. I must confess, I didn’t quite know what the story was as I wasn’t paying attention but I didn’t care. I assumed we were going through and infected area. There were plenty of actors but only one really stands out for me. He was at the end of attraction and he was intense and shouty and actually quite scary, plus he made me do exercise which wasn’t wanted. I think Boot Camp fell for a couple of reasons. After House of Dolls, it felt like a gear change backwards. It felt open and less intense and creepy. It could have been done on purpose though to, again, lure you into a false sense of security but I think if it is to return in the same position it needs to be as creepy as House of Dolls or as intense as Ward 13.
Speaking of which, Ward 13 was the second attraction of the night that really stood out. It started off really slow as you spoke to a nurse. She was calm and collected but also a bit creepy. She told us to be nice to the nurses otherwise they would come for us. We then made our way in and met the doctor. What ensued was a good 10 minutes of confined spaces, going round in circles, intense shouting and surprise scares. It was just insane how intense this attraction actually was and I was both utterly stunned and enjoying every single minute at the same time. The attraction also has one last surprise scare that genuinely got me to the point I screamed like a girl.
Last up was Fannies Yard and this was the attraction that I was most curious about yet I could not be prepared for what lay inside. I won’t spoil the surprise of what is inside other than it’s a smoke filled party with some very special guests and I genuinely had a right laugh. It wasn’t the scariest of the night but it was the most fun I’ve had in a scare maze for a while.
I’ve seen first hand the amount of work that has happened at the event in the past year and I couldn’t be more impressed. Last year the event was very basic and very tame with most of the route being carved out in plastic pallet wrap. This year it’s a fully formed route with great sets and zero plastic wrap. There are still some areas that could be improved but like with all scare events there is always areas that can be better but I would say they have a really solid event this year and I am so very excited to see what the future holds.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in creating Scream Aloud and a huge thank you to all the actors and staff working too!
Tickets are still available for this years Scream Aloud and can be found on their website!