Shadows Follow

Dare you face your worst fears?

An ancient darkness is rising upwards from the old places beneath Bristol.  Bad things are happening. People are missing. Nightmares are becoming real. Dare you face your worst fears to find out what’s going on and escape the night unscathed?

Shadows Follow was Splash & Ripple’s ambitious first production – a psychological thriller experience for 130 participants designed to tap into the heart of people’s fears.  The audience were given a mission to aid Dr Winterwell in his search for his missing daughter Persephone and investigate a series of recent disappearances in the ancient back streets of old Bristol.  An intensely cinematic world was created through using incredible locations that made the most of Bristol’s most secret corners and terrifying ancient underground places.  Evading shadows to find clues, the tension grew as they got closer to the heart of the evil mystery and interacted with more characters until the story climaxed in an astonishing final scene.

This unique experience was designed with a powerful mix of interactive theatre infused with game play which gave the audience agency to effect the outcome of events rather than passively watch them happen. Further layers of involvement were created as the story unfolded over @splashandripple ‘s twitter feed during and after the game and players added their own interpretations of the story along with photos using #shadowsfollow.

Thanks to the immense skills and professionalism of the production team, actors and stewards the night was a resounding success.  But don’t take just our word for it! – here’s some feedback from the audience:

“The use of lighting, actors & sound to create a scary experience was brilliant.”

“…just terrifying!”

“…in that moment, with the atmosphere and the adrenaline and everything, all three of us were shivering with a mix of fear and panic, and it was really really excellent!”

“Great use of dark, creepy parts of Bristol. I totally love the whole set up of the game process and hope to see loads more in Bristol soon.”

“Bloody scary.”

“Meeting new people.  The build up with the fear lecture! The running around, hiding from the ‘shadows’. The guildhall setup! All in all the whole evening was great fun! “

“keep up the good work….I really enjoyed it….what a fantastic way to spend a Friday night!”

Credits

Massive kudos to all the guys who helped make this unique event possible! Here’s a few shout-outs:

Viv Kuh – Producer
Alice Fletcher – Production Design & makeup
Greg Annandale – Video/ Audio Tech Design (and Photography)
Cookie Brooks – Lighting Design
Lydia Mason- Game Tzar
Ted Jones – Special Effects
Sam Machin – Mobile Geekery
Rosie Fairchild – Creator/Director
Mark Rochefort – Other Stuff

Cast: Ceri Seel, Neil Puttick, Billy Howle, Leah Marks, Andrew Gillan, Zac Gregory & Paul Green

Massive thanks to
Bristol City Council Neighbourhood Arts team’s Capacity project for sorting out an incredible location for us.
Illuminarium for special effects support.
Tangent Field for gallery space & auditorium.

And finally – the film was produced by Tom Barton-Humphreys.