Scariest moments in a show... — Page 2

In The Paris Letter, Neil Patrick Harris shoots himself in the mouth very suddenly, and blood splatters over the wall behind him. Very graphic, and scary.

So I haven't seen it live yet, but the first time I listened to Sweeney Todd, I decided it might be okay if took a bath and listened to it at the same time. I was playing it loud so I could hear it over the water... and then the factory whistle went off, and it scared the living **** out of me. During a summer camp I pulled a prank by playing the factory whistle part to scare my friends, because even on an iPod it's possible to hear it all the way on the other side of the room, and everyone freaked. It was pretty funny. I do the same thing in class sometimes when I'm feeling mischevious. I love me some Sweeney =).

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The gunshots in 39 Steps

and

When the pipe [or whatever it was] shoots out smoke and makes that very loud whistle in Mary Poppins right before A Spoonful of Sugar. Lame I know, but it scared me.

When I saw Mamma Mia, I was in the front row. The overture started with such a bang that I jumped a little in my seat.

Also, when I saw Beauty & the Beast for the first time, when the Beast first jumps out from behind the door to catch Belle in the west wing of the castle, I jumped because it happened so suddenly and the Beast started yelling.

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I agree with everyone on gunshots, I can't bear them as an audience member. Be it a shock or the tension building up to the 'bang', they make me jump everytime. I think the barricades battle in Les Miserables proved the worst example.

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I agree with everyone who said quite a few moments of The Pillowman. Such a disturbing show, and I love it so much.

Also, gunshots get me every time! Assassins was the worst - you'd think I would've eased up a bit by the middle of the show, but nope, I was jumpy until, ironically, the last one, when the actress playing Squeaky locked eyes with me and fired.

I would really love to see The Woman in Black - I've read several synopses, and I can't seem to figure out what's exactly so terrifying. Perhaps it's the actual theatre atmosphere?

Re: 'The Woman in Black' - totally the atmosphere. I read the novel and it struck me as ever such a pedestrian ghost story, but the play made me want to wee. I think what helps is not expecting it to be scary. You go in thinking "it's a play, there's no way that'll be as scary as a film", but it ends up being more-so.

Of course, I will admit that it won't necessarily scare everyone, but I always seem to be most frightened of quiet, creeping, unstoppable, single, malevolent, supernatural entities (usually female ones as well o_O), while also being excessively creeped out by what happens in my mind as opposed to what you see onstage, so it plays absolutely perfectly to what I personally find terrifying. I won't say "omg you're wrong!" to the people who weren't frightened of it, because fear just is so subjective, but if it's the kind of thing that'll frighten you, then you may well have some sleepless nights in store. :3

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Any gunshot fire in any show but I remember the Woman in White with "Count Fosco" and those mice (live) running up and down his arms. I wanted to bolt!!!!

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Deathtrap was the first thing to come to my mind as well. I was like 18 when I saw it.

But I totally agree with the Wait Until Dark mention as well.

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Like everyone else, gunshots seem to make me jump every time- especially the one that kills Gavroche in Les Mis. Even when I know it's coming, the suspense gets to me.

As for the Woman in Black- definitely didn't scare me. I specifically waited until Halloween in London to see it and while I found the story to be great and engaging, I just wasn't scared by the scary elements. But I did have a fun time at the theatre.

Act II of The Woman in Black. Didn't sleep properly for 2 weeks.

Even if we wrote what happens in the show, it won't make sense - it's the actual live experience that makes it scary - the storytelling, the atmosphere and the sound effects.

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