ON SATURDAY night I was followed, no, chased, and accosted by a crouching, laughing, maniacal man, determined to do me mischief. That I was confined in a small room, with no obvious exit only added to the terror...but also the fun, for this was CarnEvil.
And oh, but this was not all. In a room that looked like the graveyard of Allen Jones 'fetish' mannequins, one came to life...another room was encased in fog. Now imagine trying to get out of there, not knowing where the door was, while something you could sense and feel, but not see, hovered around you. There were also the tunnels you had to crawl through, in deep, pitch back darkness, feeling your way nervously along, trying not to rub against something nasty that was akin to the feel of a jellyfish, and as for the final room...well, it's the most terrifying, but I could not spoil the surprise.
You enter CarnEvil, determined not to be scared, but you cannot help but throw yourself into the moment and allow yourself shouts of fright as actors pop out of cabinets; appear from nowhere and chase you around small rooms; or stalk you, their eyes never leaving yours for one moment. You know you are safe and will come to no harm, but that anticipation that someone, somewhere, is waiting for you, and that you have no idea what they will get up to, heightens the anticipation, and the adrenaline, keeping you on edge, and nervously crawling, creeping, and tip-toeing through the entire maze of magnificent madness.
You will shout, scream, and run, but also bust out in laughter at the sheer thrill of being spooked. CarnEvil is an absolute success. Brendan Savage, his crew of designers, and his team of actors, have done a magnificent job in creating a maze of thrills, terrors, and scary fun. Go on, treat yourself to a good scare...I dare you...
CarnEvil runs at the Connacht Print Works, Market Street, each day up to and including Bank Holiday Monday. Opening hours are 6pm to 11pm (Wednesday and Thursday ) and 4pm to midnight from Friday to Monday. See www.carnevil.ie