[Editorial] London Horror Festival: Scare Slam (2021)

Photography credit: Richard Stratton

The 6th annual Scare Slam, part of the London Horror Festival, was held in the downstairs of The Pleasance Theatre, and was a thoroughly enjoyable hour of creative and entertaining poetry. This show was not for everyone of course.. However, I’m of the belief that everyone should give a poetry night a chance at least once, and this yearly event is a great example of why. 

The event was compered by the sunny natured Ellie Pitkin, who kept the audience engaged during interludes by regaling two stories from a German children’s book. The first being about a child whose digits were removed by a home invading tailor because he sucked his thumb too often, and the latter about a little girl whose cats mourn her death after she set herself alight by playing with matches. Lovely family content indeed. These tales were a perfect way to set the tone for the rest of the evening, the majority of the poetry performed was of the dark comedic variety rather than true horror, which kept the audience chuckling heartily. 

A great example of the more light-hearted entertainment was 666 Problems by Sarah Tejal Hamilton; a Jay Z meets gothic horror mashup which put all the famous monster myths in a new light, with a lot of toilet humour to boot. Her ability to keep the beat whilst spitting verses was impressive to a complete novice of the genre. A definite hit with the crowd, this poem meets rap wasn’t particularly spooky but was certainly charming. 

Photography credit: Richard Stratton

Another amusing performance was An Unusual Undertaking by Andrew James Brown, which followed a cheeky undertaker who seemed to have a preference for women of the Lord. A mashup of sex and death drama, this piece was accompanied by the wearing of a Victorian style cloak, which Andrew commented was too warm, but that he wearing it for the effect. A truly enjoyable recital that had the audience laughing along as the undertaker got caught out in his sordid romances.

The peak moment of comedy for the evening was Feed the World, written by Rhiannon Owens and performed by the very talented Natalie Winter. A meat factory worker is given ‘worry dolls’ by her mother after finding them on a trip. The worker whispers her concerns to the dolls every night before bed, too many bad people, not enough food, climate change, Brexit, to name but a few. The dolls’ solution? Climb inside the worker’s ear and persuade her to murder ‘bad people’ to reduce the population and turn them into burgers to increase the food supplies. This includes her boss, internet trolls whom she persuades have won a prize… and us. The audience, who willingly walked into the room with the now closed door, to see a show. An excellent concept that was graciously performed by Natalie (and the little voices in her head).

A final poem that teetered on the edge of humour was Mr Tumnus by Sam Greenwood. This performance was introduced as being ‘about a child I do not have, in a house I do not own. In this way I hope it will be very relatable to a London audience’. As Sam effortlessly switched between his ‘dad’ and ‘child’ voice, the story unfolded of Mr Tumnus, with his big red face and hairy legs. After his daughter goes missing, the parents clock on that this imaginary friend may be something a lot more nefarious than James McAvoy… They catch the monster with his favourite sandwich (ham and jam) and save their daughter from the clutches of the ominous beast. Don’t read Narnia kids, the devil may use it to try and keep you in the wardrobe.

Photography credit: Richard Stratton

The Scare Slam wouldn’t have earned the term ‘scare’ unless there were some chilling fables to coincide with the sillier entertainment. The Woman on the Ceiling by Julie Barnett opened the show, with a creepy Covid-parallel tale of a woman sick in bed, who is gradually replaced by a changeling-type creature before her family return home. The thought of being taken away in your most vulnerable moments can strike fear in even the bravest of hearts, and the image of a woman looming above me as I slept stuck with me long into the evening. 

The final poem to mention is Gone by Sasha Ravencroft, which was the most serious performance of the night. Set at a funeral, Sasha describes not having the strength to say goodbye to her partner, with family members such as her sister and nan crowding around her for comfort. Things start seeming a little off however, and it turns out she is the one who has died, with her own wake happening around her. This study of grief from the other side is a great example of how to turn a story on its head, leaving the audience feeling sorry for the woman whose voice can no longer be heard.

To conclude, Scare Slam was a solid night of fun. The wide variation of poetry and performance styles kept me thoroughly humoured and is something that I would highly recommend to any fans of this style of theatre. This annual event will hopefully be returning to The London Horror Festival in the years to come.

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