Creep LA’s Lore Immerses You in Dark Folk Tales Coming to Amazon Prime

A popular podcast and upcoming Amazon Prime TV show, Lore seems the perfect fit for Creep LA. Using different episodes as inspiration for their vignettes, Creep LA was able to pack their hour-long event with content. More an immersive play than haunt, Creep LA explores the blend of history, folklore and urban legends, which are rich in creepy imagery.

Led into the basement of The Reef downtown, our group consisted of 8 people. We were given bandannas to cover our mouths as a reminder not to speak during the event. After a brief stop in the study of an author – the room littered with thrown-out ideas, photos and notes – we were instructed to “Follow the man into the woods.”

Walking down a dark, candle-lit hallway led by a man dragging a shovel with nothing to hear but the scraping, the further we went into the twisted fairy-tale world of Creep LA’s Lore. As we came into the woods, fantastically creepy and well-done, the vignettes began. Unfortunately, the first encounter was a bit too obtuse for my taste; I wasn’t sure what the story was, and it took much longer than I think it needed to. Maybe it lacked enough dialogue to explain the concept, but the space allowed the audience to walk around, explore, and choose which actor to watch, which was interesting.

The subsequent scenes moved along more smoothly and didn’t have an issue with conveying their story. However, because of the open layout of the venue, some were difficult to hear due to other scenes bleeding over. Creep LA tried to minimize this by waiting quite some time before letting the next group in, but there were still issues. The covered “cabin” sets were a lot better for sound in this regard. The actors within stayed in character well, sometimes in heightened states of emotional distress, which I imagine takes its toll.

While the guests don’t affect the narrative, Creep LA’s Lore is immersive. You might be touched, moved or have to interact with the actors. Some of your party will be separated and brought back together later, making for fun conversations afterward in the bar/exit lobby to see what you missed. However, I do wish I could’ve seen everything Creep LA had to offer, as I was definitely interested in the themes.

The Takeaway:

While still entertaining, Creep LA’s Lore was light on information, the WHY of the scenes and what they mean to our current cultural mythology regarding vampires, fairies and more. Since I hadn’t listened to the Lore podcast before going to Creep LA, the richness was lost on me, but I still enjoyed the experience without having any prior knowledge of the stories. If you’re a fan of Lore, Creep LA is a fantastic companion piece, and a positive promotion for the upcoming show.

From fairies to cannibalism, from a deranged doctor to a demonic doll, there was always something interesting for the audience to absorb. I also have to mention how intricate and amazing the sets were – creepy woods, a cottage, a hospital room, a mental ward, a graveyard, and more – all with distinct decor and props. Despite a slower start, the scenes really picked up toward the end, leaving me with a renewed sense of wonder at urban mythology.

NOTE: There are strobe lights, complete darkness, small spaces and sensuality.

Creep LA’s Lore runs on select dates through November 12.

Buy Tickets: http://www.creepla.com/