WHAT: Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights: Horrorworld
WHEN: 14 – 31 October, 2022
WHERE: Whites of Earl Barton (Clay Lane, Northampton NN6 0EP)
PRICE: £21.95 – 40.95
OUR RATING: Do It!
For the past few years, Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights has been our number one scare attraction, so we were beyond excited to see what the haunt had in store for us this year. Dr. Fright’s is known for showcasing completely new mazes every single year, whether they are sequels to past ideas or novel concepts. But perhaps our best memory of this attraction is the perfect mixture of scare and fun they bring to the table – from dancing and laughing with Killer Clowns on a Spaceship, and being absolutely petrified at last year’s Yokai Temple. The actors at Dr. Fright’s are all volunteers, which is ridiculously surprising as they are some of the best scare actors in the UK, and Dr. Fright’s really knows how to set up their talent in the best ways to thrill…and kill!
Dr. Fright’s has certainly grown a bit this year, and their signage and branding is off the charts, with new theming covering all four sides of the mostly-covered event, a large branded map of the park, and a new merchandise stall selling shirts, keyrings, and even branded hot sauce. A hugely creepy nun followed us around, and various food and drink stalls peppered the space. They even have their themed horror bar where you can sit back and watch live scarecams, streaming the faces of terrified patrons from inside the mazes onto a large screen to add another layer of fun to the event. Whilst not as large as Hallowscream or Fear Avon, the level of thought and detail in the space and in each and every one of the haunts is second to none.
Grindhouse in Wonderland: A defunct fairytale village attraction deep in the Louisiana swamps, experience a blood soaked journey through a once magical land of enchantment. Welcome to your deadly never after!
As butchery is usually our least favourite concept, we went into Grindhouse in Wonderland first, and this is where the tongue-in-cheek fun started! Immediately in the queue and throughout the haunt we danced away to song after song of Disney-music-gone-wrong, and every which way we turned we had the most evil of fairytale creatures jumping out at us. These actors are not afraid to get right in your face, but they know exactly where they are in this horrific fairytale and aren’t afraid to have fun along the way.
Killer Clowns of the Caribbean: The notorious killer clowns have commandeered a popular pirate themed attraction, transforming it into the perfect venue for their latest killing contest!
We always leave the clown attraction for the last, as it’s usually the best on offer. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a large group of slower guests during this maze, so missed out on a majority of the scares, but we still thoroughly enjoyed all of the crazed pirates here. There was even a short segment of the maze which must have had at least five or six clowns coming at us from above, below, and pretty much everywhere one after the other – such good shock values, and all to the tune of ridiculous pirate shanties.
Monsters and Madmen: A reclusive millionaire has spent years building up a collection of live exhibits for his museum. Prepare to come face to face with the worlds most feared killers, creatures and demons that lurk around every corner!
This maze was by far the most heart-pounding scary maze we have attended this year, with the most petrifying of serial killers coming at us from all sides. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a werewolf in a haunted maze, and Dr. Fright’s not only brought a wolf, but also aliens from the X-Files, numerous characters from The Purge, and of course every single serial killer from every franchise you can think of. Another thing Dr Fright’s always does right is their ability to make you question what is real and what isn’t, and you’re never quite prepared for when the real killer comes out to get you! Hands down an amazing, terrifying maze that had our adrenaline spiked for the rest of the night.
House of Wax: Legend has it, the eccentric owner Madame La’trusse, owner of The House of Wax and condemned as a witch, still haunts the house, reanimating the twisted remains of her beloved wax works.
There is nothing more eerie and unsettling than that feeling one gets around waxworks. Lifelike, yet so totally dead, and yet…did we just see that finger move ever so slightly? This maze is packed with them, along with mannequins and dolls that do leave you wondering who’s going to attack you next (as is Dr. Fright’s speciality). Some brilliant effects meant we couldn’t be sure what was real (including simple objects like mirrors) and so fell prey to an array of scares that were cleverly hidden at first glance. And yes, we did scream!
Final Thoughts: Dr. Fright’s did not disappoint this year, and if the attraction had given us the opportunity to ‘top up’ and attend all the haunts twice, we certainly would have – we didn’t want to leave! We attended on a Sunday so the queues weren’t too bad, but fast track passes are always a great deal and a good idea. However, the ambience and soundtracks in the queues make the wait a ton of fun and worth it when you get to go into the attraction as individual groups, another exclusive element of Dr. Fright’s we really love. You’re guaranteed to experience the maze with you and your loved ones and friends and not with complete strangers, so it was just the two of us against these terrors, which made it all the more frightening. Dr. Fright’s is the best value for the best scares and laughs you’ll get, and we can’t recommend this place enough. It’s THE experience of the season!
