Hallowe'en: The Black Hall opens 100 years after cursed actor Henry Flynn closed the horrors within

The acclaimed Derry actor – inspired by the film-making of German horror specialist FW Murnau – had decided to make the leap from theatre to the new art of cinema.

Something happened out there and Flynn came back but he wasn’t the same.

Derry playwright Jonathan Burgess is well-versed in the lore around Flynn and what may or may not have happened out in the central Romanian forest.

“Sir Henry Flynn was the man who opened the Theatre of Life here, this hall, back about 100 years ago or so. Sir Henry was fine actor. He had a wonderful troop of actors and people came from all over the world to see his troop act but then he got invited out to Eastern Europe, out to Transylvania in the early 1920s when they started making these new films,” Jonathan told the ‘Journal’ as Derry prepares to host the best Hallowe’en celebrations in the world.

According to Jonathan dreadful things had occurred to members of the scouting location crew. Some returned plagued by afflictions, while others vanished into the abyss. Whispers spread that a menacing curse had crept into the production.

"Sir Henry took the bait and when he came back people expected the Theatre of Life to open again. Unfortunately not. Sir Henry went in and closed the doors and we ended up with The Black Hall.

"The Black Hall is what Sir Henry has made of this space over the last 100 years. He locked his performers in and they rehearse endlessly now for a show they are never going to give. There are a lot of twisted, angry, desperate people in there,” warns Jonathan.

After a century the doors of The Black Hall have been thrown open for Hallowe’en and prior to it open to the public the ‘Journal’ got a preview of this new terrifying haunted attraction and can confirm it’s not for the faint-hearted.

It has been curated by Jonathan, the man behind acclaimed works such as ‘The Exodus’, ‘Crows on the Wire,’ ‘Walled City Passion’ and ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way From The 12th’.

"I'm a theatre producer and I obviously want to bring people entertainment and tell them stories. Stories are the important things. I never really bothered with Hallowe'en up until last year and I was asked at the last minute to do something by the council and I just saw the vibrancy that there was in the city over the weekend and I thought right, I'd like a wee bit of this,” he told the ‘Journal’.

Mr. Burgess who used the City Walls to such great effect in his Walled City Passion production says it was brilliant to utilise St. Columb’s Hall.

"This is a beautiful piece of built heritage right here in the city centre, with the Forum, the Guildhall, everything is within stone throwing distance, and it is fantastic to have something in here and animate this space,” he added.

Times:

5-11pm, Thursday & Friday, October 26-27.

12-11pm, Saturday to Monday, October 28-30.

12-6pm, Tuesday, October 31.

Pre-book at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/grayscommunications/995659

Relaxed Experience performances:

12-1pm Saturday, October 28.

12-1pm Sunday, October 29.

12–1pm Tuesday, October 31.

Recommended for ages 10 and above.

Fairies, banshees, ghosts and superstitions - a look back at the old customs of Hallowe'en