
Shock Horror: A Ghost Story
Priority Booking for Gold & Silver Friends, 16-25 Members and Access Register:
Now open!
Priority Booking for Bronze Friends:
Open from Thu 15 May, 12 midday
Public Booking:
Open from Fri 16 May, 12 midday
A nightmare is about to break free…
Herbert grew up in the Metropol. The eerie old cinema was his playground and prison – a place where endless late-night horror films were his only window to the world. Forbidden from leaving by his disturbed parents, Herbert hid in its shadows and gorged on its movies. But what lurked in the Metropol’s darkness? And how did he manage to escape?
Now Herbert’s back at the abandoned cinema, searching for answers to long-buried questions. But for him, and for you, the real horror has only just begun…
Brilliantly combining live performance, illusion and film”
★★★★★, Theatre News
Inspired by classic theatre ghost stories and cinema’s greatest frights, Shock Horror is a chilling journey into a haunted past. Combining live performance and big-screen action, it’s full of shivers, shrieks and shocking revelations.
Because we love a good horror film, don’t we? Until we realise we’re all alone in the dark…
Delightfully unsettling, and a must-see”
★★★★, The Reviews Hub
Venue
Presented by
Thunder Road Theatre
Written and Directed by
Alex Moran
Set Design by
Ethan Cheek
Please scroll to see the full cast and creative team.
Price
Special Offers
3 for 2: Add 3 applicable shows into your basket and at checkout enjoy 33% off each production for selected productions. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Aged 16 to 25: Discounted tickets are available for this production for registered 16-25 members on Fri 31 Oct at 7.45pm. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Rep Friends
Become a Rep Friend and save up to 15% with no transaction fees, plus many more membership benefits. T&Cs apply – Find Out More
Running Time
Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including an interval.
Age Guidance
12+
Please note, no under 5s will be admitted to the auditorium.
Content Advice
Please note that Shock Horror contains use of strong language, disturbing images and scenes of horror. This production contains haze, smoke, flashing lights, loud and high-pitched noises.
Production Photos





Cast
On Stage Performers
Alex Moran
Credits include: War Horse (NT); Quality Street (Northern Broadsides & New Vic Theatre); Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin (Georgian Theatre); Body Snatcher, Invisible Man, Count of Monte Cristo, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Hyde (Harrogate Theatre); A Clockwork Orange (Volcano); Seeds (Oldham Coliseum) and Tales From The Blackjack (The Lowry).
On Screen Performers
Chloe Carter
Credits include: Coronation Street (ITV); Lookers (commercial); Brewdog (commercial); The Long Shadow (New Pictures); Thank You For Doing Nothing (Silent Uproar); Jack And The Beanstalk (Theatre Royal Wakefield); Sans Merci (Hope Mill Theatre); Snow Queen (New Vic); Doctors (BBC); So Awkward (CBBC); Be More Martyn (UK Tour); The Royal (ITV) and Emmerdale (ITV).
Joseph Carter
Credits include: Yizkor (New Vic); Hobson’s Choice (MT Prod.); Love Hurts (New Vic); 100 Years On (Everyman Theatre); Dark Side Of The Moon (Greenhouse Theatre); Spring And Port Wine (Oldham Coliseum); Hollyoaks (C4) and England Is Mine (Honlodge).
Chris Blackwood
Credits include: Miss Julie (Gulbenkian); The Wizard of Oz (Plowright); The Little Mermaid (Kings Theatre); Candide, La Traviata (Kent Opera); Showboat, Pirates of Penzance, Pajama Game (Marlowe Theatre) and Tea with the Reaper (Bright Night Films).
Creatives
Creative Team
Writer & Director
Ryan Simons
Ryan Simons
Ryan is a Yorkshire based playwright and filmmaker, he took inspiration from the classic horror films of the 70s and 80s when writing Shock Horror.
He trained as a writer with Hull Truck and his television work includes Eastenders, Emmerdale and Spooks. His plays include Merlin and The Magic Mirror and Bottoms Up. His horror films Seizure and Demon Eye have been released theatrically in America and Europe, distributed in thirty territories globally. His recent short film Tea With The Reaper won four prestigious awards after initial release.
Set Designer
Ethan Cheek
Ethan Cheek
Ethan is a Performance Designer working across Theatre, Film and Music. They are currently the Maria Bjornson Bursary recipient at The National Theatre.
Training: The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Their recent theatre credits include: The Principles of Deception (Theatre Royal Northampton, Associate Designer); Little Shop of Horrors (The Egg). Constellations (The Barn); My Sons A Queer (Broadway, Associate Designer); £1 Thursdays (The Finborough); Into The Woods (Playground Theatre); Borders (VAULTS); The Scar Test, Little Sweet Thing, Blister (LAMDA); Millennials (The Other Palace, Associate Designer); The Concrete Jungle Book (The Pleasance); Rabbit Hole (The Union, OFFIE Nominated); The Bridges of Madison County (Quick Fantastic) and Spring Awakening (RCSSD).
Composer
Ben Parsons
Ben Parsons
Ben Parsons is a prolific composer who works in TV, films and theatre.
He has scored a great many series and programmes for TV including Grand Designs, Bear Grylls and recently received an Emmy nomination for Netflix’s The Hidden Lives of Pets.
Ben has also scored some feature films including Demon Eye and a number of shorts. Theatre work has included Cascade’s Frankenstein dance piece. Ben used to tour and record with bands including Cherry Ghost and Arctic Monkeys and now lives and works in North Manchester.
Lighting Designers
Andrew Crofts
Andrew Crofts
Andrew Crofts is a visual designer and technologist who works with lighting, video and interactive tech for theatre, dance and mixed-media companies. Andrew has worked with a range of other companies including Imitating the Dog, Blast Theory, Belarus Free Theatre, Every House Has A Door, Invisible Flock, Streetwise Opera, Geraldine Pilgrim Performance, Jasmin Vardimon and Spymonkey.
Matt Carnazza
Matt Carnazza
Matt trained at Rose Bruford College in Lighting Design and specialises in lighting for theatre, dance, and touring productions.
Previous theatre credits as lighting designer include: The Light House (Leeds Playhouse/UK Tour, Red Ladder Theatre Company); Tomorrow Is Already Dead (Soho Theatre, Hackney Showrooms); Force of Nature (International Tour, Bloom Dance Project); 122 Love Stories (Harrogate Theatre, All Points North).
Theatre credits as associate/programmer include: Now (UK Tour, Jasmin Vardimon Company); Nutcracker (Southbank Centre, McOnie Company); The Clothes They Stood Up In (Nottingham Playhouse); ALiCE (JVH.o.m.e/UK tour, Jasmin Vardimon Company); Roundabout Theatre (Paines Plough) and Young Associates (Sadler’s Wells).
Illusion Designer
John Bulleid
John Bulleid
Director of Photography
Dave Hackney
Dave Hackney
Dave works internationally across features, documentary, corporate, short film, and time-lapse. For Dave, Shock Horror represented a truly unique and exciting opportunity to weave cinematic content into a live theatrical narrative.
Over the past five years, he has collaborated on a number of award-winning projects including: Polterheist (2018); Seizure (2018); Demon Eye (2019); Tea with the Reaper (2022) and most recently, his own directorial debut – Hide (2023). He’s currently working on a new project shooting in a virtual production ‘volume’ space.
Production Team
Technical Manager
Dominic P Patel
Dominic P Patel
Dominic is a Lighting Designer and Production Technician based in Greater Manchester.
He’s been working within music and theatre since graduating from The University of Hull in 2019. He’s worked alongside a variety of up-and-coming producers, playwrights and students to share their stories and works with the wider world.
Design credits include: Macbeth (IC Theatre); BI-TOPIA; A Night with Me; Myself and Bi-polar Brenda and The Formidable Lizzie Boone.
Production credits include: ROTTEN and A Lucrative Opportunity. This is Dom’s first horror production although he himself is easily jumped; he’s looking forward to creating some wonderful scares in Shock Horror.
Production & Vision
Georgia Batterley
Georgia Batterley
Georgia is a graduate in Drama and Film Studies at the University of Kent, and has since pursued a career in Production and Stage Management.
She’s worked with Northern Broadsides, Bradford Literature Festival, Deptford Literature Festival and Rose Bruford, exploring all aspects of backstage, whilst also having the chance to continue her love for performing. Having worked with Thunder Road in 2023, she is looking forward to bringing excitable thrills to their audience again this year.
Marketing & PR
Jess Rooney
Jess Rooney
Jess is a Yorkshire based arts marketing specialist, with a focus on touring theatre. She studied Psychology and then an MA in Advertising and Design at the University of Leeds.
She has worked in marketing roles at Leeds Playhouse, Northern Broadsides and Theatre Royal Wakefield. She has also worked on a freelance basis for companies such as Northern Rascals, Claybody Theatre and Stute Theatre, as well as shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Jess first worked with Thunder Road in 2019 on The Body Snatcher when it toured to Theatre Royal Wakefield. She is delighted to return to Shock Horror for its biggest tour yet.