October 30th 2024.
It's early in the morning and I'm sitting in an abandoned school, sipping on a cup of coffee. The atmosphere here is quite eerie, with skulls and feather quills scattered around me. As I take another sip, I start to feel some strange bumps appearing on my skin. It's definitely a first for me, but for the employees at the London Dungeon, it's just another normal day. You see, I've been given the opportunity to become a scare actor and experience what it's like behind the scenes at this popular attraction.
Before I continue, I must make a disclaimer: the bumps on my skin are simply a result of clever makeup. I'm actually being transformed into a plague doctor's assistant by Adam Keeler, the performance manager at the London Dungeon. He's been working here for eight years and is an expert at scaring people. As he prepares to work his magic on me, he explains that my character needs to look malnourished. He then pulls out a small makeup bag and begins the transformation.
Using a white base primer, he washes away my natural color and creates a sunken look with dark eyeshadow and powder. Adam adds some finishing touches, making me look like I haven't slept in a week. I can't help but laugh at the thought of myself scaring people with this grotesque appearance. But as Adam reminds me, it's all part of the job.
He then moves on to create the signature boils on my face, explaining that the actors have to apply their own makeup every morning. While they receive a full training day to learn the art, I only have 20 minutes to transform into this 17th-century character. It's a race against time, but Adam works quickly and soon I'm looking like a horrifying plague victim. A few dabs of yellowish color and fake blood complete the look.
As I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I barely recognize the person staring back at me. It's both fascinating and unsettling to see myself in this way. I start to wonder if I'm ready for what's to come, but before I can voice my concerns, Adam hands me a costume to wear. A blue floor-length dress, a blood-stained apron, and a bonnet complete my transformation.
We then make our way through various rooms and corridors, filled with strange smells and unique props. I'm amazed at the attention to detail and the effort put into creating an authentic experience. We finally reach our destination, "stinking" plague alley, where I'll be scaring the masses for the next few hours.
My colleagues for the day are a plague-ridden mannequin and the sound of a woman throwing "urine" out the window. Thankfully, it's just water and not the real thing. Adam hands me a black plague mask and cloak to wear over my costume, and then it's time to get into character.
The plan is for me to jump out at unsuspecting tourists and lead them through the alley, pretending to be sick. I think to myself, "how hard can it be?" But during our practice run, I quickly realize how challenging it is to see through the tiny holes of the mask. I start to imagine all the things that could go wrong – tripping, missing my cue, or even getting scared myself. And to make it even more challenging, I'm not allowed to touch the visitors. It's all up to my acting skills.
Adam tells me that the worst thing I can do is say "boo", which surprises me. Apparently, it's just not scary. Who would've thought? As I wait for the first tour group to arrive, I start to feel a bit nervous. And then I notice a strange smell in the air – vinegar. Adam explains that it's a hidden special effect that adds to the experience. I try my best not to gag, but apparently, it's something the staff have gotten used to.
As the day goes on, I continue to scare visitors and lead them through the dungeon, fully embracing my role as a plague victim. It's an experience I'll never forget, and I have a newfound appreciation for the actors at the London Dungeon. It takes a lot of skill and dedication to create such a terrifying and realistic experience for the visitors. And as for me, I'll stick to just sipping on my coffee and watching from the sidelines.
As the clock strikes 8 in the morning, I find myself in an abandoned school, sipping on a cup of coffee. The eerie atmosphere is complemented by the presence of skulls and feather quills all around me. And to add to the spooky ambiance, I can feel small boils surfacing on my skin. It's a bit unsettling, but then again, it's just another day at The London Dungeon, where I am training to become a scare actor.
Just to be clear, those boils are not real, they are a result of some clever makeup. I've been invited to spend the morning here, and I am about to undergo a transformation into a plague doctor's assistant. My guide for the day is Adam Keeler, the performance manager and a seasoned scarer with eight years of experience at the Dungeons.
"We've got to make you look malnourished," Adam says as he settles me on a wooden stool and brings out a small bag filled with makeup products. A white base primer is used to wash away my natural complexion, while dark eyeshadow and powder give me sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, and deep forehead lines. "You've got to look like you haven't slept in a week," Adam jokes.
As he adds the grotesque boils to my face, Adam explains that the actors have to do their own makeup every morning. Though they have a full training day to learn the art, we only have 20 minutes to transform me into a 17th-century plague victim. In no time, my face is covered in a yellowish color, followed by generous amounts of fake blood to complete the look.
I am amazed and slightly offended by how little it takes to turn me into a practically dead plague victim. And it's all done in just 20 minutes. As I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, I can barely recognize myself. The hideous image staring back at me is both fascinating and horrifying. I start to wonder if it's too late to back out.
Before I can come up with an escape plan, Adam hands me a blue dress, a blood-stained apron, and a bonnet. These are the final pieces to complete my look. We then proceed to explore the Dungeon, walking through rooms and corridors filled with strange smells and unique props. We even pass through a cellar full of gunpowder and a torture chamber before reaching the infamous "stinking" Plague Alley, where I will be stationed for the morning.
My new colleagues for the day are a plague-ridden mannequin and a woman's voice throwing "urine" from a window. Thankfully, it's just water. Now, it's time to get into character. Adam hands me a black plague mask and cloak to wear over my costume. He then shows me where I'll be scaring the unsuspecting tourists.
My job is to jump out at them, pretending to be sick, and lead them down Plague Alley. Sounds simple enough, right? But as we do a test run, I realize how hard it is to see through the tiny holes of the mask. I start to imagine all the things that could go wrong – tripping, missing my cue, or even getting scared myself. And to top it off, I am not allowed to touch any of the visitors, so it's all down to my acting skills.
Adam tells me that the worst thing I can do is say "Boo." Surprisingly, it's not considered scary. "It's just not scary," he explains. Who knew? As I wait for the first tour group to arrive at 10 in the morning, the excitement and anticipation start to build up. And suddenly, I notice a strong smell of vinegar in the air. Adam reveals that it's a special effect, designed to add to the authenticity of the experience. But I have to admit, it's a bit hard to stomach.
"It's okay, we've all gone nose blind," Adam reassures me. And just like that, I am ready to start my day as a scare actor at The London Dungeon.
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