Contortium Theatre
Rude, gruesome, and scary. Channelling the spirit of the theatre of horror and comedy, the twisted and the bizarre, the legendary Theatre of the Grand Guignol. A new writing theatre company based in West Yorkshire in the UK. Specialising in the short, the shocking, and the very, very, strange.
A very different night out. Not Safe For.... anyone really.
- "Went tonight and had a blast!"
- "The spirit of the Grand Guignol is alive long after they all thought it dead and buried… And dismembered and burnt."
- "Funny, disturbing, gory, did I mention funny?"
- They were amazing - had us all in the edge of our seats!!!
- "Tales that had us guessing and gulping"
- "Deliciously dark."
- "a great and very different way to spend an evening."
Tales of the Bizarre 1
An evening of six short sharp tales of fear, laughter, and the strange, in the spirit of the legendary Théâtre du Grand Guignol.
- A shy young man invites a nervous young woman back to his home. What if they're both concealing secrets? What if they're both concealing very dangerous secrets....?
- They say men don't talk enough, but maybe that's a good idea. Maybe sometimes that's a really good idea....
- If you go down to the haunted house today, you're sure of revelations, blood, death and a big surprise.
- A wronged woman wreaks a savage revenge, but on whom?
Tales of the Bizarre 1 toured Bradford District in October and November 2023 to universal praise. To be honest we've just lied to you; one consistent criticism we had was "not gory enough"; which, considering what we did to people in ToB1, is actually quite worrying.
We're working on it. Tales of the Bizarre 2 is coming; filthier and more shocking than before. The spirit of the Grand Guignol lives on. Plus de Sang! More blood!. Watch this space.
Advice for bookers
- An evening of modern Grand Guignol, alternating horror and comedy. Presented for a general audience. No knowledge of theatre history required
- A set of six to eight short pieces, depending on desired runtime. Each with a running time of approximately five to fifteen minutes, alternating horror and comedy.
- Duration: 100 minutes including 15 minute interval
- Ages: customisable from strictly adult only, to young adult friendly depending on audience and venue needs. Not suitable for children.
- Minimal staging and lighting. Designed for unconventional spaces. Minimal get in and get out, less than one hour each.
- Use of stage blood can be negotiated. We can bring our own stage cover. We can just not use it but it looks a bit odd.
- Booker comps available for all shows, please enquire.
