Theatre Review: Urban Death Tour of Terror is the Best of Two Worlds

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre’s Urban Death Tour of Terror is an experience like no other.

As I mentioned in my wrap-up of this year’s Midsummer Scream, I’ve been a fan of ZJU Theatre for quite a while. Back when I was still doing the weekly newsletter for Geeky Los Angeles, the group regularly graced my calendar and newsletter with their performances. (Full disclosure: I also purchased an ad from them in 2022 to help promote the website.)

The idea of ‘immersive’ theatre isn’t new: as this article discusses, its influences include, among other things, commedia dell’arte. The idea of breaking the fourth wall and bringing the audience fully into the performance is typically the home of avant-garde companies. It tends to be experimental, highly stylized, and almost inevitably unique.

I had deliberated for quite a while about attending their performances. While I do like some horror (and haunted attractions), I also tend to shy away from anything too violent/gory. The idea that you had to sign a waiver for many of ZJU’s productions also made me hesitate. Was this something I truly wanted to, well, immerse myself in?

I gave them a shot at Midsummer Scream before interviewing Zombie Joe himself, and was glad I did. While it was definitely disturbing, it was disturbing in the ‘right’ way, if that makes sense.

So when I was invited to their press/influencer night, I figured it was time to give the full show a chance.

Part theatrical performance, part haunted attraction, Urban Death Tour of Terror starts out with a trip through a darkened maze. Filled with actors you’ll be seeing in the performance, scares and undulating walls that give you no comfort to traverse, you are given a flashlight and told to follow the arrows to find your way. This leads into a small (even for a 99-seat theatre) performance space, with seating on the floor and a couple of layered platforms. On the opposite wall is one of the performers, wearing a straight jacket and ghostly makeup, barely moving at first.

According to my interview with Zombie Joe, there are different vignettes that they rotate in and out. I also wanted to leave something to the imagination. So, I’m not going to go into detail about what all I witnessed. (Although I will say that my favorite was probably the lucha libre bit.) And I use the word ‘witness’ intentionally: many times, it felt like I was a gawker at a car wreck, unable to turn away.

The production definitely earns its 18+ rating. There was nudity (the production shows off all the genders), simulated violence, and some downright disturbing content.

ZJU does a great job of shifting the tone of the segments: you’d get a humorous sketch followed by a stylized violent one followed by an erotic one followed by a beautifully ethereal one. Each scene is short enough to where you have just enough time to comprehend what you’re seeing before your focus is forced onto a new one. And yes – it is very interactive: there were times when the actors were close enough to where I was afraid I’d accidentally bump into them. But the performers had immense control: not once did I feel actually threatened by them.

Once the hour-long performance is over (which went quickly), you are then required to go back through the maze back to the front of the theatre. The disturbingly beautiful production is experimental in the best way possible, pressing into the walls of comfort. If you aren’t easily disturbed and are looking for an unusual addition to your Halloween experiences, I highly recommend it.

Urban Death Tour of Terror runs until November 1 in their North Hollywood location. Tickets are $23 in advance, and $28 at the door. More information can be found on their website.

Author: Angie Fiedler Sutton

Angie Fiedler Sutton is a writer, podcaster, and all-round fangirl geek. She has been published in Den of Geek, Stage Directions, LA Weekly, The Mary Sue, and others.

She also produces her own podcast, Contents May Vary, where she interviews geeky people about geeky things. You can see all her work (and social media channels) at angiefsutton.com.

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