September 2, 2019
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Immersive Theatre, Review

After an introduction to scare attractions starting with Scare Kingdom, Psychomanteum and Pasaje del Terror I was really excited to meet more of the scare community and for a very different type of experience. From what little I knew about HVRTING I had high expectations and it absolutely smashed them all. 

We arrived at the venue and waited outside, eager to get inside and changed ready for the game. It was fab to see that everyone had made an effort to dress up. When ready our glamorous croupier ordered us inside the building ready to get started. The tone was immediately set when our first challenge was to plank for as long as possible while singing ‘we’re all going on a summer holiday’ (does anyone actually know all the words because we definitely did not!). As we dropped like flies we were paired up. Once the last of the group fell we headed down the stairs in the darkness.

Image courtesy of Faceless Ventures

We entered the dimly lit room, candles scattered across a table which held an assortment of items to test and torture (but summery of course – think buckets, spades, sun cream). The tormentors (the name says it all) showed us to our seats and lingered ominously behind us as the croupier introduced the game. 

  • Image courtesy of Faceless Ventures
  • Image courtesy of Faceless Ventures

What came was round after round of hilarious fun combined with humiliating punishments. From being duct taped to your partner to blindfolded with duct tape (so much duct tape), swapping clothes to removing them, waterboarded to spanked (with a spade), ordered to do press ups or burpees to tickles or being put under the table, with each card turned over you didn’t know what was in store next. All the while the terrific tormentors were squirting us with fake blood, covering us in sun cream and crazy foam, drawing on us and drenching us with water. Then out of nowhere – SHARK ATTACK!… fake blood everywhere. The whole group was so completely into it and the croupier and tormentors were such good characters. 

The winner issued everyone with multiple punishments and we all enjoyed watching them get a severe final spanking to finish the game off. Just like that the game was over and we all emerged up the stairs for after photos, drenched and covered in blood, some of us wearing far less clothing than others.

Image courtesy of Faceless Ventures

It was a brilliant experience with the perfect balance of testing limits of humility and an hour of hilarity. Meeting and getting to know some of the scare lovers was really fun and I loved mingling with them at drinks after the event. 

The Faceless Ventures and ScareTrack organisers are all such awesome people and everyone at the event was so welcoming and friendly. If you’d asked me last year if I’d even entertain events like Scream Camp or Cracked I… well I wouldn’t have had a clue what you were on about but if I had I’d have just laughed my arse off. Now, having met some of the people involved, I’ve seen what trusting relationships have been built amongst the community. For a newbie like me it makes me feel even safer and more comfortable in pushing my limits and the boundaries. Scream Camp and Cracked next year? I’ll think about it.

Josie
Author: Josie