Last week I was invited to Petersham House for ‘La Petite Mort,’ on the first of three nights of Halloween banquets organized by The Old Vic Tunnels and the newly established Petersham Playhouse. It was a spookily special night out…
I was met by a 12ft stilt walking girly ghoul, carved pumpkins, flame throwing and tarot card reading followed by fantastic performances from Les Enfant Terribles. The fantastic troop of actors frighteningly interacted with their anxious audiences in the dimly, chandelier lit rooms around Petersham House (opened for us to explore at our own peril.) I screached when a meat hacking, psychotic crazy, in blood soaked bandages, jumped out at me from a cellar wielding an axe...
Luckily, a deliciously decadent feast by Petersham Nurseries Michelin Star Chef Skye Gyngell soon calmed me down (wouldn’t everyone find rice pudding covered in drops of blood-red, raspberry compote relaxing?!)
Dancing with my fellow revellers to music by Tankus The Heng followed and I found myself at one point, toffee apple in hand, bopping along with an extremely dapper baboon in a velvet jacket, vintage fur stole and top hat… Hell-a fun night!