This news comes shortly after the company announced a brand-new show, The Void; a sci-fi horror in association with Watford Palace Theatre, also touring this autumn.
First unleashed in 2022, Shock Horror has built a reputation as “Stranger Things meets The Woman in Black” - a terrifying journey into a haunted past set in an abandoned cinema. Audiences across the UK have been gripped by its unique fusion of live theatre and big-screen action.
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…
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.
The cast includes entirely Yorkshire-based actors; Alex Moran (War Horse, National Theatre; Quality Street UK Tour, Northern Broadsides) as Herbert, who is joined by on-screen actors Chloe Carter (Emmerdale, ITV; Doctors, BBC) as Norma, Joseph Carter as Jack (Hollyoaks, Channel 4; Yizkor, New Vic Theatre; 100 Years On, Everyman Theatre) and Chris Blackwood as Father Karras (Miss Julie, Gulbenkian Arts Centre; The Little Mermaid, Kings Theatre).
Shock Horror is written and directed by Huddersfield-based playwright and filmmaker, Ryan Simons (Eastenders, BBC; Emmerdale, ITV), whose horror films Seizure and Demon Eye have been released theatrically in America and Europe and distributed in thirty territories globally. His recent short film Tea With The Reaper won four prestigious awards after initial release.
Ryan Simons, Writer and Director, said: “At its heart, Shock Horror is about a troubled young man trapped in a world of fear - and what happens when he returns to face the ghosts of his past. Beneath the scares, it’s a story about isolation, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.”
Alex Moran, Producer and Actor, added: "We never expected Shock Horror to resonate with audiences the way it has. The journey has been truly unexpected and rewarding. Each tour introduces us to new viewers who have heard the buzz, alongside returning fans seeking another scare. We're so proud that a show inspired by our love of cult horror and ghost stories has struck a chord with so many people."
The 2025 tour begins at Leeds City Varieties (13 - 14 Oct) and travels across the UK with stops at Warwick’s Bridge House Theatre (17 - 18 Oct), Buxton Opera House (20 Oct), Blackpool Grand Theatre (21 Oct), Dundee Rep Theatre (24 - 25 Oct), Portsmouth New Theatre Royal (27 Oct), Dunstable Grove Theatre (28 Oct), and Twickenham’s The Exchange (29 - 30 Oct). For Halloween, the show lands at Birmingham Rep (31 Oct - 1 Nov), before concluding with performances at Ormskirk’s The Arts Centre (3 Nov), Lighthouse Poole (5 Nov), and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (6 - 8 Nov).
For more information and tour updates, follow Thunder Road Theatre on social media or visit: www.thunderroadtheatre.org