Shanghai During a trek through a newly opened attraction at Madame Tussauds wax museum in Shanghai, almost all the women in one group screamed, some even ran out with tears in their eyes. 

 

 

"Ghosts in white suddenly appear and breathe into your ears, shadows even follow you about!" said a girl surnamed Xie who broke into frightened laughter after calming herself down with a bottle of soft drink.

 

"I was too scared to open my eyes most of the time," said Xie.

 

The 1,000-square-meter room, the biggest "Scream Hall" ever opened by the wax museum chain is expected to become a hot attraction in Shanghai.

 

The director behind this large-scale horror show is Lynton Harris, founder of the Sudden Impact entertainment company.

 

"Scaring people around the world for over 10 years" is how Harris describes his craft, a service he believes was lacking in Shanghai before his arrival.

 

The hall is shaped like a prison-esque labyrinth, where people walk in total darkness, broken up intermittently by sparkling laser lights. "There is a strong contrast between the two areas: dark and white," said Harris. "That will add more excitement."

 

 

Behind lifelike wax sculptures hide actors dressed as ghosts, ready to jump out and give visitors a quick shock.

 

"You can never distinguish between real people and sculptures in the hall," said Xie. "Sometimes, you are ready to be shocked by an image in the darkness, but later you find it is just a motionless sculpture. Suddenly a real actor just jumps out and makes you scream."

 

Called a "scare master" by some Western media, Harris, who was born in Australia and has worked in New York for the past decade, does not look like someone who dwells in darkness. So why then, does he relish scaring people?

 

"I just like people's reaction after being scared," he said, smiling cheerfully. "They are scared and scream, then naturally, they laugh a lot. It is a very interesting process."

 

Since his first show in New York in 1996, Harris has frightened crowds all around the world. "Almost every minute, I am thinking about how to scare people in a cool way." How to produce a bloody face or slashed face? How to combine lights, scary music and make-up together?

 

 

He said Westerners and Asian people react differently when scared. "Asian people are easier to scare, just a small movement by the actor and they will react fantastically."

 

In Shanghai's scream hall, actors are not allowed to touch visitors, as that may "over scare" some visitors. The hall provides 16 emergency buttons on the wall, which can be activated by the staff should anyone feel too scared. All the lights will then be turned on and staff will lead the visitor quickly outside.

 

To guarantee people's safety in the darkness, visitors are organized into groups of six, each holding a length of rope.

 

Harris says that he is very proud that his cast, 22 young local people, are very well rehearsed.

 

"She is really a sweet girl who is not scary at all, but after a week's training, she can scare a big man onto the floor," he said, pointing to a girl who has white make-up on her face and a bloody mouth. Actually, the "blood" is red sugar, which can be later eaten. 

 

To cultivate more "professional scary people", Harris opened a "scare school" several years ago which has already received celebrities such as Goth rocker Alice Cooper, Hollywood actors Hugh Jackman, Kevin Bacon and rock star Joey Ramone.

 

The school provides 50 hours of professional training during which students learn quick physical movements, vocal moans, and how to apply "terror make-up". But Harris warned that the professional field of frightening does have its risks it's not all about scares and giggles.

 

"They (students) should also learn to observe and keep a smart distance from the visitors, otherwise, they may be kicked or pushed by scared people."

 

(China Daily May 12, 2007)