Time for a SCARE!

What
Little Cat Theatre's Scary Tales at Tynemouth Priory

Where
Tynemouth Priory

When
6 pm, Thursday 26th October 2017

Cost
£11

One Word
Creepy

Before It Started
To get there in time we had to go straight from my work to Tynemouth. My dad picked me up with my mum, and we had originally planned to drive through Seaton Delaval then along the coast via Whitley Bay, but there was an accident on the Avenue and we had to detour through Holywell and Earsdon and skip the seaside drive. Luckily we made it just in time!

First Impressions
There were more people queued up than I was expecting. It was as I rooted around in my bag for my ticket that I realised I had left my print out at home, but at the gate they just asked for names before letting my mum and I through. Then we waited for a little while, everyone taking in the amazing sunset and watching boats come in to port, taking pictures of the Priory and Castle against the darkening sky.

Just before 6.15 pm, the guide gathered us all round, explained the dos and don'ts. Unfortunately no pictures was one of the rules, so I had to tuck mine away. And then we were off.

The Main Event
Going between the points of this interactive performance was at a bit of a pace.

First stop was the gatehouse, and it was straight into the action. One of the performers greeted us and asked for a brave volunteer. Naturally it was a seven year old girl who rolled her eyes at the older (and considerably more scared) boys and stepped forwards. She was so brave, as it was not getting darker, the guides has torches out, and we were stepping into the confines of the gatehouse.

The mini-performances across the site were a mix of all sorts. A bit of loud scares, silent creeps and dark figures. There was so much drama and conviction and honestly it felt so real at parts.

There was one part where my mum and I both ended up in silent hysterics. We didn't mean to, but it always seems to happen when we do something like this. Huge, creepy, heavy-breathing, imposing shadow guy is staring my mum down and she starts sniggering. So he moves on to me. And I ended up burying my head in my mums shoulder to stop from laughing out loud. It's the kind of behaviour you'd expect from someone who'd had a drink, but we were stone cold sober.

The walk led us around some parts of the Priory I have previously been to, other parts I have not. But as it grew steadily darker, suddenly I was in a completely different place.

And yes, I was creeped out.

Overall
It was fantastic. I'm not sure quite what I was expecting but this was excellent, and would be perfect for families. I can't wait until my nephews are both old enough to take in future.