Following the success of their critically acclaimed show Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, Thunder Road returns with their most ambitious production to date - fusing multimedia, illusion, cinematic design and live performance to plunge audiences into an otherworldly nightmare.
Eight million miles from Earth, a mysterious distress call draws Flint, a haunted space ranger, towards an ageing research vessel. Boarding the craft, he finds a failing ship, a missing crew, and a deadly force running out of control...
The Void is a chilling sci-fi horror – a decaying future of desperate humans, all-seeing AI, and memories of a distant, dangerous past. Combining powerful illusions and atmospheric projections, this story asks... what are you afraid of?
Ahead of the production’s tour we caught up with writer, director and actor Ryan Simons to discuss the show in more detail.
What can you tell me about The Void?
The Void is a sci-fi horror set aboard the Odyssey, a failing research vessel at the edge of known space. It's about a haunted Ranger who answers a distress call and encounters a deadly virus that feeds on fear. The story explores our deep mistrust of each other and the demons of our past.
The Void is a sci-fi horror set aboard the Odyssey, a failing research vessel at the edge of known space. It's about a haunted Ranger who answers a distress call and encounters a deadly virus that feeds on fear. The story explores our deep mistrust of each other and the demons of our past.
What inspired you to write the piece?
After the success of our Shock Horror (our first stage horror), we were looking for a way to push the boundaries of cinematic theatre even further, and sci-fi seemed the perfect genre for that. We’re big fans of Alien, The Thing, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. When we placed our main character in deep space and put him on an infected ship, the horror took care of itself... we just had to figure out how on Earth we could stage it!
How have you approached bringing the text from the page to the stage?
Our shows blend multimedia with live performance and theatrical illusions. Like film, it's all planned in pre-production, and carefully stitched together so it's seamless for the audience. Then it's all about playing with the tension in rehearsal and building on the foundations to create a chilling atmosphere full of scares.
How do you navigate being the writer, director and an actor in the piece?
Taking on the roles of writer, director and actor is terrifying, but there is method to the madness. It takes a lot of work to develop a theatrical production as ambitious as this, and a huge amount of time. By taking on all three roles, and Alex Moran taking on the roles of producer and actor, we can be at the heart of every creative decision as the play evolves with the audience experience to deliver something truly terrifying.
What can you tell me about your character?
Blair is a mystery. He’s a brilliant scientist, who’s been isolated by the oppressive Corporation that has a strangle hold over him. That’s made him volatile, unpredictable and incredibly human. So many of us now are isolated in an online world run by big business, but at what cost? That’s what I find so interesting about him - is he a bad person or has he been pushed to do a bad thing?
How would you describe the style of this piece?
Think cinematic sci-fi horror with the intimacy of theatre. The audience is trapped in the same space as the characters with no escape, no pause button. It's about pushing boundaries and creating something that feels both futuristic and immediate, using the unpredictability of live performance to enhance the paranoia and dread.
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had a big impact on you?
Blood Brothers. I'd never seen working class characters like me up there onstage before.
What gives you inspiration?
Films are a big influence on me. I love bringing that cinematic flavour to the stage.
Can you describe the show in 3 words?
Claustrophobic. Psychological. Haunting.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
I hope they feel inspired to watch more theatre and come back to see us the next night to work out how we created the illusions.
Where and when can people see the show?
We’re touring to some of the best theatres in the country. We open at Hull Truck Theatre on 6 September, before heading to BEAM Hertford (9 - 10 Sep), The Exchange, Twickenham (11 - 12 Sep), Hurstpierpoint College (16 Sep), Middlesbrough Theatre (18 Sep), Mansfield Palace (22 – 23 Sep), Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury (24 – 25 Sep), Connaught Theatre, Worthing (26 – 27 Sep), Theatre Royal Windsor (30 Sep – 2 Oct), Watford Palace Theatre (3 - 4 Oct), The Arts Centre, Edge Hill University (8 - 9 Oct), Uppingham Theatre (10 Oct), and finishing at Plowright Theatre, Scunthorpe on 11 Oct.
All the links for tickets are available at: www.thunderroadtheatre.org/tickets
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