Top 5 scariest West End and UK theatre moments

5. The Bone House (2009)
The Chris Fassbender play was revived for a run at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and to call it bone-chilling would be putting it lightly. The Bone House is a play structured as a lecture given by Eugene Crowley, who is an expert on serial killers. Exploring our cult fascination with murderers, the show sees Crowley talk about a particularly dangerous sadist, The Midnight Cowboy, whose signature is killing his victims in front of an involuntary witness. The play was an hour-long and began at midnight. 

Most Terrifying Moment?

The most terrifying moment: when the lights go out and the theatre becomes pitch black. Is The Cowboy lurking in the darkness?

4. Carrie The Musical (1988)
Royal Shakespeare Company's original production was widely considered a dud with both script and technical issues being the final nail in the coffin. The infamous scene where pig's blood is dumped on Carrie at the prom presented one of the show's technical problems as the substance would cause the actress's microphone to malfunction. That being said, the ill-fated adaptation of the terrifying Stephen King novel had one big scary moment for those who dared to travel to Stratford-upon-Avon on opening night.

Opening Night Mishap

Unfortunately, that moment was not an actual part of the story. Barbara Cook, who portrayed Carrie's overprotective and religiously hysterical mother Margaret, was nearly decapitated by a set piece that had slipped. It left the audience stunned for all the wrong reasons and the actress quit after just that one performance. The musical has since garnered a cult following, but given the mishap, it's reasonable to believe that Carrie The Musical is perhaps as cursed The Poltergeist films.

3. The Exorcist (2017-18)
It seems like only yesterday that the stage adaptation of one of the most frightening films of all time was scaring the bejesus out of West End audiences at the Pheonix Theatre. Featuring special effects complete with all the abject and terrifying "fluids" (i.e. urine, blood, and vomit), The Exorcist was certainly not a family-friendly affair.

Not For The Squeamish

Other than a flood of green slime, the scariest moment of the play is perhaps the possessed girl's swivelling head, and lest we forget the demonic voice done by none other than Ian McKellen! Can horror fans expect an encore?

2. The Woman in Black 
It terrified London theatregoers for over 30 years and was even adapted into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, so it comes as no surprise to see this hit London play on our list. Complete with an empty rocking chair, quiet locals who deny paranormal activity, creepy apparitions, and creaky wooden doors, this is English scary storytelling at its finest. Perhaps the moment that will really have you shrieking in terror is when a locked room at the end of a hallway begins to bang, clang, and clatter. The biggest fear being the anticipation of what's hiding behind the other side.

1. Ghost Stories 
Last on our list is, of course, Ghost Stories, because nothing screams "Halloween" more than a play with the word "ghost" in it. This spooky show is an analogy of three people's experiences with the supernatural. The revival will be set up in a similar fashion to The Bone House, in which audiences attend a lecture of sorts that goes horrifyingly wrong. While the details are scarce on what exactly will freak you out, what is truly terrifying is that past stagings of the show had video monitors on display outside the theatre that showed the reactions of horrified audience members. And, naturally, nothing gets scarier than a play with an age warning — those under the age of 15 beware for a frightening scare or two (or three)!
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Ghost Stories is playing at the Peacock Theatre in London from10 October 2025 until 20 November 2025. If you're a fan of horror and all things macabre, then you won't want to miss this spooky production!

👓👉 Don't forget to read our blog on 13 facts about The Woman in Black.

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