Warwick Castle Dungeon Launch

Year of production

2009

Location

Warwick Castle, Leamington Spa,
Birmingham City, Solihull, Chiltern Rail,
Warwickshire

Client

Merlin Entertainments/Willoughby PR

Escaped Convicts Cause Humorous Havoc
in the Midlands

AtmosFEAR! street theatre created quite a stir when three rotting plague victims escaped from The Castle Dungeon at Warwick Castle, to thrill, entertain and terrify crowds at city centres throughout the midlands in April 2009 for Merlin Entertainments.

As part of the launch stunt activity for The Castle Dungeon at Warwick Castle – a grisly new tourist attraction depicting history, horror and humour set in the castle chambers, AtmosFEAR! street theatre created three different bespoke characters with back stories, individual character traits and interactive elements. Using authentic costumes, prosthetic makeup and historical props, our monstrous menagerie came startlingly to life.

Following a brief from Merlin Entertainments, we were tasked with creating a noisy visual spectacle which would draw interest and appeal to a wide demographic audience. With the emphasis on horrible history and frightful fun, we created Wailing Wynnie a hungry hag, brandishing a bone and lucky charm in the form of a chickens foot, Reynard the grave robber, who was desperately trying to offload trinkets he has dug up, and Ysabelle the thief, who was eagerly looking for something shiny!

In our backstory, each fictional character had been locked up in the dungeon as punishment for their vile ways, but after Wailing Wynnie had sent the Dungeon Keeper to sleep with her constant warbling, she had snatched his keys, and the three had escaped from the castle!

After managing to reach the railway station and trying to fit in with Chiltern Railways more normal travellers, the threesome made a dastardly dash around Warwick, Leamington Spa, Solihull and Birmingham city centre, creating humorous havoc and inviting astonished onlookers to take part in their games of Ring a Roses and The Dungeon Dance.

Accompanied by promotional staff and project commissioners Willoughby PR, the creepy cast entertained hundreds of children and adults as they danced, sung and cackled their way around each location, before finally returning to the Dungeon at the end of the project; realising they were better off in the Dungeon than outside in modern day Britain!

We are grateful to Merlin Entertainments, Warwick Castle and Willoughby PR for granting permission to feature images and video footage from this project on our website.

The Castle Dungeon is now open at Warwick Castle, for full information, opening times and admission prices visit www.warwick-castle.co.uk