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Halloween Film Double Bill from Tales from Paradise Heights

10/30/2019

So All Hallow's Eve is upon us, and Tales from Paradise Heights are proud to present two films, both set on Halloween on the Paradise Heights estate, both loaded with local ferocious and precocious talent, in front of and behind the camera. You can see both films on here today for free, but today only as the links will be taken down tomorrow. We're very proud of them, and more details on the films are below.

THE NIGHT DEATH PUT ME DOWN: A Tale from Paradise Heights

Tonight is Halloween, and Death takes a walk through the streets of the Paradise Heights...

The latest production from Tales from Paradise Heights and the first venture into animation, you can find out much more on the film's genesis at this link:

www.talesfromparadiseheights.com/the-night-death-put-me-down.html

Animated by the mighty Darren McGinn, with music by Justin Wetherill.

THE WATCHER: A Tale from Paradise Heights

There are many Tales from Paradise Heights...and tonight is Halloween.

A little girl sits by her window, scared by 'the man' outside.

A family man, begins his lonely night-time vigil.

A taxi-driver, begins a shift that he will never forget.

And a loan shark stalks the streets, still haunted by his past...

This is the Tale of The Watcher

You can find out more about the making of The Watcher at this link:

www.talesfromparadiseheights.com/the-watcher.html

This film was lovingly made by a fabulously talented cast and crew from Bolton, Salford and Manchester. The film is a testament to collaboration and to the determination, skill, dedication and passion of everyone involved.

There's a great documentary here too, from Ben Mottershead, that goes behind the scenes of the film. Click the link below:

vimeo.com/32017631

This Halloween is quite a special one for me. I've posted this blog in the early hours as by the time you get around to reading this I'll probably be in Whitby, with another talented band of amigos putting on The Haunting of Blaine Manor to another fabulous audience, in a haunted theatre, in a haunted town, on the haunted coast and in the shadows of Whitby Abbey - Dracula's haunted castle...I think I'm gonna turn Goth.

We hope you enjoy the films, see you on the other side...

Joe & The Paradise Heights Massive x

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A Shiver Inducing Tale involving The Haunting of Blaine Manor and The Old Red Lion Theatre Pub, London.

10/14/2019

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The Old Red Lion in London, is once again home this year for the London Horror Festival ran by talented and brilliant Katy Lou Danbury and her enthusiastic team. I wish them every success. This festival, running since 2011, is growing year an year and showing some incredible new works. All power to their creative elbows and break a leg to all the shows involved, enjoy yourselves. We were part of this fantastic festival in 2017 with the show, The Haunting of Blaine Manor.

This year's festival is hosting a show that delves into the haunted history of The Old Red Lion, LAST ORDERS, the show is about a group of film makers that go into the pub to investigate if it's haunted, to spend the night there filming stuff - a great concept! The pub that has been in existence for some 600 years - of course with such a wealth of history (Oscar Wilde is said to have done some of his scribblings here) there are perhaps bound to be a couple of creepy stories.

We have one of our own...from our visit to the festival. We performed the 3pm matinee show on Saturday 4th November.

Our show is renowned for its soundscape design, created by Justin Wetherill from the howls and wails of the cast that went crazy one rainy afternoon in a sound studio in Sheffield. You really wouldn't know it was us, such is the wizardry of Justin, it's a truly horrifying soundscape. Those that know the theatre pub will know that the theatre is on the second floor. There's a flat on the third floor.

During the show as a cast we became aware of a racket coming from upstairs, it sounded like barrels or metal items being dragged across the floor, along with various other bangs and crashes - it was distracting to us but we soldiered on as it didn't bother the audience at all. The show rocked the house, went down a storm with the sold out audience. Mission accomplished.

Katy was stage managing that afternoon and she asked me if we were happy with how it had all gone. I said I was delighted, just the slight niggle with all the noise coming from upstairs. Katy visibly paled. 'I thought that was part of your sound design?' When I confirmed it wasn't she told us that the flat upstairs was rented out and that at the moment the tenant was out of the country.

'Oh God, he's back.' She said, and she didn't mean the tenant, informing us that the pub was genuinely haunted. She then got on the phone to her boyfriend saying there was no way she was going to be locking up alone tonight...

I think our ghostly sound design woke something. Whatever it was didn't come with us, it's still in The Old Red Lion!

We'd already had a slightly spooky experience a couple of nights before, on Halloween. Well myself and Peter Slater who plays the main role of Doctor Roy Earle...

Herman Chapel Theatre, Oswestry

We had played The Hermon Chapel Theatre in Oswestry on Halloween, and again the show had gone down a storm with the locals. Those that have seen the show will know that it is set in 1953, and they will know that there's a gag around Glenn Miller, the American band leader - a gag around him and his composition 'In The Mood'.

We had done the show, the second of three nights, and we were all heading home. Pete was riding with me, we returned to the car and as I started the engine the radio came on as normal. The tune that was playing?

In The Mood by Glenn Miller!

Pete and I just looked at each other, slightly spooked but finding it funny too - what were the odds of that?

There are three chances left to catch this show on this year's tour - it's been one helluva tour and the three remaining shows take us from coast to coast, Whitehaven, Burnley and Whitby on Halloween. Catch us if you can, it's a great show - check the reviews at the link below:

REVIEWS
www.talesfromparadiseheights.com/reviews.html

REMAINING SHOWS
The Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven, Friday 18th October
Tickets:
www.rosehilltheatre.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor

Burnley Mechanics, Burnley, Friday 25th October
Tickets:
https://burnleymechanics.ticketsolve.com/shows/873602650

Whitby Pavilion, Whitby, Thursday 31st October - HALLOWEEN!
Tickets:
www.whitbypavilion.co.uk/Online/default.asp

Trailer design and animation by Darren McGinn, original music composed by Justin Wetherill

Horror is a Place

Joe x

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Villains, Scoundrels and Perverts - The Haunting of Blaine Manor: The Characters

10/8/2019

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Vincent Price

After a spectacular launch of the 2021/22 tour of The Haunting of Blaine Manor (check the venues and ticket booking links further down this update) I thought I'd take a little time and talk about my influences in the writing of the play.

Part of the title to this blog entry is part of a line from script - 'Villains, Scoundrels and Perverts...' - yes the play has its villains and scoundrels. Perverts? Well, no - but you decide when you've seen it. So, I always wanted to write a ghost story, that's detailed elsewhere on this site - www.talesfromparadiseheights.com/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor.html

But what of the characters? I went back to my childhood and teenage years and found my rogues gallery in some of my favourite films. As I was writing each character I had these actors and some of their portrayals in mind, some of them are an amalgamation of more than one actor - it's my imagination, I'm allowed! I hasten to add here that the actors that are playing the characters in the play are NOT doing impressions of them. Each performance is owned and lived in by the actors onstage, a product of their wonderful craft and skill and direction - it's been a lot of fun in rehearsal working with this talented bunch.

The actors all named below were in my mind when I was writing, and there were qualities of others (again listed elsewhere) but these few below kept popping up, they were iconic models for me to hang action and dialogue on, and all this a good while before I finally cast the play. I shared my time with these silver screen icons who freaked me out regularly between the hours of midnight and four in the morning on each writing session, a good ghost story should be written around that time don't you think? That's when I did all of my writing on this.

Humphrey Bogart

Doctor Roy Earle

For Doctor Roy Earle, the American dropped into a haunted English manor, I was writing with Humphrey Bogart in mind. He has an axe to grind with swindlers and fakes, of which he is sure Cairo and Scarabus are. A confident investigator, shrewd, adept but with a tragic past and a somewhat wounded centre. Punchy, abrasive, cynical and trouble when he's had a drink.

Lauren Bacall

Bette Davis

Vivian Ruttledge

For newspaper reporter/columnist Vivian Ruttledge I had a Lauren Bacall meets Bette Davis combination going on in my head. She'd be thoroughly English though of course - glamorous, catty, curious and a very adept investigator herself. Blaine Manor though is something entirely new to her and the house begins to take its toll - though no psychic, she can sense there is something dark and dangerous here.

Peter Lorre

Cairo

For mind reader and clairvoyant Cairo, Peter Lorre was alive and kicking in my head. Cairo would be East European, cunning, sly - is he a fake or does he really have such powers? What has he potentially already unleashed in the manor?Wherever there is trouble you might find Cairo. Very cutting in his patter and a coward at his core. A villain of the piece? Well he's no hero.

Peter Cushing

Adolphus Scarabus

Adolphus Scarabus, parapsychologist, medium and author - scholar in the Dark Arts. An acclaimed Master in his field, world renowned and for most there is no doubt of his power. However he is very much a target of Doctor Roy Earle's cynicism and distrust. His main reason for accepting the invitation to Blaine Manor is the safety of the others, he has no doubt of the terrifying power of the house. This guy was Peter Cushing right from the off in my imagination.

Vincent Price

Christopher Lee

James Mason

Vincent De Lambré

Custodian of Blaine Manor, and all too aware of the dark power of the house. He was very close to the owner. On the outside he is bearing a burden over what happened to the owner, Mister Tyler, but what's going on on the inside with him? Vincent started out as Vincent Price in my head - of course, how many haunted houses did Vincent Price find himself inside? But the more I wrote, the more I found elements of the dark strength of Christopher Lee with a hint of a sly 'North by North West' James Mason.

There's a broader nod to Vincent Price elsewhere in the show, see if you can spot it...or hear it perhaps...? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Dirk Bogarde

Phillip Stone as Delbert Grady in The Shining

Grady

Grady as the butler of Blaine Manor was always going to be very 'English with great manners', a faithful servant of the house for some 37 years, man and boy. He arguably has more knowledge of the house than anyone. Dirk Bogarde played the part in my head as I was writing, though many that have seen the play have felt the presence of Phillip Stone's Delbert Grady from The Shining. See what you think.

So that completed the 'base models' for the characters. Once the actors were cast though the true magic started to happen, this is truly a firecracker ensemble with all the actors playing out of their skins...come and see them, it's the least they deserve and you should treat yourself too...you'll love every minute.

Left to right: Andrew Yates as Cairo, Jo Haydock as Vivian Ruttledge, Phil Dennison as Adolphus Scarabus, Peter Slater as Doctor Roy Earle, Ed Barry as Vincent De Lambré and Joe O'Byrne as Grady. Newcomer James Allen now plays the part of Adolphus Scarabus as Phil had to move on from the production, both have and are creating wonderful versions of the character. Image by Darren McGinn

Tour Dates 2021/22

The Platform, Morecambe, Wednesday 27th October
Tickets:
https://uk.patronbase.com/_ThePlatform/Productions/BLA1/Performances

The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, Friday 29th October
Tickets:
gladstonetheatre.org.uk/events/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor/

The Muni, Colne, Saturday 30th October
Tickets:
https://www.themuni.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-at-the-muni/p-291-the-haunting-of-blaine-manor/

Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, Friday 12th November
Tickets:
https://theatrcolwyn.co.uk/shows/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor

Scarborough Spa, Sunday 21st November
Tickets:
https://www.scarboroughspa.co.uk/event/The-Haunting-of-Blaine-Manor-2021

The Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford, Friday 28th January 2022
Ticket Link To Follow

The Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield, Friday 25th February 2022
Tickets:
https://chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk/shows/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor.aspx#.YVDD4y2ZNuU

The Theatre Royal, Wakefield, Friday 18th March 2022
Tickets:
https://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/events/the-haunting-of-blaine-manor-2021

Whitby Pavilion, Thursday 21st April 2022
Ticket Link to Follow

Burnley Mechanics, Saturday 18th June
Matinee and Evening Performance
Tickets:
https://burnleymechanics.ticketsolve.com/shows/873627065

Swansea Grand Theatre, Wednesday 26th October 2022
Ticket Link to Follow

More Dates To Be Added Soon - Watch This Space!

Image by Darren McGinn