ALL RHODES LEAD TO HELL

Halloween has always been a very special time of the year for the Drama Queens, as it was at this time, in 2009, that the troupe formed. That initial show: ‘Drag Me To Hell’ was the first of what would become an annual celebration of all things theatrically ghoulish. 

This year they’ve decided to construct a totally new show, rather than use favourite scenes from previous successful Halloween shows. Going along the theme of a Victorian styled gothic horror show, choosing 1888, the year of Jack the Ripper, as their starting point.

‘To Hell in a Handbag’  promises to reflect a time when entertainment from the music halls presented a Victorian lifestyle seen through rose tinted glasses. The reality being that this was one of London’s darkest times, when the city experienced great wealth and great poverty side-by-side. A time when the streets were strewn with vagabond beggars, pick pockets, thieves and knife-wielding gangs. If you add in travelling freakshow fairs where potions, poisons and heroin were available for all kinds of ailments, and when opium dens, seedy gentlemen clubs and male brothels were all commonplace, then you have the general gist of what they’re aiming for. The show will transform the club bar of The Two Brewers into a place of theatre where Creative Director Spike Rhodes hopes to scare the bejesus out of audience members. Or, at least, raise a few goose bumps.

A director for over thirty years and the creator of several Drama Queens’ Halloween shows, if anyone knows what key eerie elements are essential it’s Spike.

THE PLOT –  A storyline is the beating heart of any show. I take an idea and then build on it, playing with concepts and genres, whilst mixing things up to make the production multi-layered. So, be brave, add in a few twists and off the wall elements as those are the things that will always grab the audiences’ attention. It will also make your production unique and memorable. Never play safe and easy.

THE CAST – The cast must be excited and totally committed to any production. We’re lucky to have group of very talented performers who are just that. I do find that those who are ‘possessed by the devil’ to be great artists, with wonderful stage technique. Being able to projectile vomit, levitate and head-spin on cue night after night is stunning to watch. Mrs Moore is currently teaching our possessed artists to tap dance on the ceiling whilst spinning a sequined crucifix. I’ve not seen the result but look out for ‘Exorcist the Musical’ coming soon.

THE MUSIC – A very important element as it sets the mood for any horror, causing fear instantly. Take, for example, The Omen and Psycho scores – they instantly give you the goose bumps. But for me, personally, the opening bars of EastEnders scares the shit out of me…

THE WARDROBE – Try and make your performers use their own old clothes if there’s going to be blood. You really don’t want to be cleaning all those outfits after the show now do you?

PROPS – Be careful with stage blood. It gets bloody everywhere! It sticks to your hands; it’s slippery on stage; stains the skin and generally never goes the way you want it to. In Sweeney Todd we had a tube effect for the blood to spurt out over a white sheet when the performers neck was ‘slashed’. It worked well sometimes but was very hit and miss. When the tube came off the pump unit, under the pressure, the artist was soaked in blood. But sometimes there was no blood effect as far as the audience was concerned because it was all over the performer underneath. I felt very sorry for the cast members covered in it!

AVOID AT ALL COST – Do not use real animal offal on stage. As tempting as it may sound, in an aim to achieve a more authentic and realistic effect, it’s never a good idea. I was once in a production where the director insisted on using liver, kidney, intestine and pigs blood from the local abattoir. It was for a disembowelling scene and it had been packed into the actors fake stomach. However, under the heat of the stage lights the smell was just too intense. And before it was even ripped from his stomach, two members of the cast had passed out, with the rest of us slipping on the bloody mess on the stage after it was released. The poor audience turned blue. And we could smell it on our skin for weeks too. SAY NO TO OFFAL!

• ‘To Hell in a Handbag’ is at The Two Brewers, 114 Clapham High Street, SW4 7WJ on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October. Doors open 6pm, show 7.45pm, curtain 10pm. Advance tickets Friday £10, Saturday £12.