Staff unpaid after Hertfordshire Halloween Haunt Fest cancelled

Staff and about 100 actors employed at an immersive Halloween occasion that was cancelled mid-run have mentioned they’re owed tens of 1000’s of kilos.

Halloween Haunt Fest, on the Hertfordshire County Showground, featured scare mazes based mostly on horror motion pictures and was imagined to run 17 October-1 November.

On Tuesday, 28 October, the corporate behind the occasion — In The Scenes Limited — posted on-line to say it had ceased trading and entered into voluntary insolvency because of “unforeseen financial challenges”.

“It’s impacted us terribly; I’ve had a sleepless night; we’ve got staff to pay,” mentioned Emma Rule, whose firm equipped 24-hour safety groups to the occasion.

Ms Rule, from Sentry and K9, added: “We are going to honour payments to all of our staff, but we’re going to have to finance that through our personal accounts.

“It’s 1000’s of kilos, and most of the people haven’t got 1000’s of kilos sitting round of their accounts.”

She mentioned it appeared “the organisers had been making an attempt to placed on a very good occasion at an amazing venue” and it “got here as an actual shock” to receive a message on WhatsApp on Tuesday.

Phoebe Shergold-Willis, whose School of Performing Arts in St Albans oversaw auditions for acting roles, said most staff “didn’t discover out till they noticed the announcement on-line on social media”.

“To at the present time we have not had an e-mail to say this has occurred,” she advised BBC Three Counties presenter Andy Collins.

Ms Shergold-Willis said about 100 “concern actors” dressed as witches, zombies and other horror characters were employed directly by In The Scenes and they would expect to be paid about £1,000 if they had done the whole two-week run.

“We all had been so excited as a administration staff and actors; everybody was pouring every part into this; it is actually, actually disappointing,” she mentioned.

“My sister Madi is likely one of the maze managers, and she or he is owed £4,000.

“I put in my invoice over a month ago — £1,600 for running the auditions — and was never paid.”

She added that the efficiency supervisor, who had been engaged on the manufacturing loads longer and would have been employed immediately by In The Scenes, would have invoiced the corporate for about £10,000.

In a social media post, In The Scenes’s chief government Nick Doherty mentioned: “Despite the team’s best efforts to deliver this year’s event successfully, unforeseen financial challenges have made it impossible for the company to continue operating sustainably.”

In an extra assertion, he mentioned: “This situation breaks my heart.

“The ethical and proper factor is to deal with supporting everybody affected and make sure the course of is dealt with pretty and appropriately.

“The company is consulting with a licensed insolvency practitioner, who will provide formal information and guidance to ticket holders, contractors, staff, and freelancers in due course.”

Advance tickets for the opening weekend had a 25% discount and value £29.99.