Didn't get your fill of Halloween spooks? Factory of Terror unveils 'Extreme Fears' shows

Greg Sullivan
·3 min read

FALL RIVER — Done your seasonal haunted house visit or visits and feel the need for something more? Well Michael Quill, owner of The Factory of Terror, has organized a post-Halloween party just for folks like you.

This Friday and Saturday nights, The Factory of Terror will host its first “Extreme Fears” shows. The actors will touch you. You must sign a waiver before entering the anticipated 30- to 40-minute interactive show.

“We’re taking the haunted house and amping it up several notches,” said Quill, who also owns the outdoor Fear Town in Seekonk. Fear Town and Factory of Terror completed their annual runs on Halloween evening. Now, staff from both sites are collaborating on Quill’s two-day Super Bowl of controlled horror. Pre-COVID, before he bought Factory of Terror, Quill for a few years ran “Extreme Fears” at Fear Town.

Attendance was great.

“Last year,” Quill said, “a lot of people were asking a common question: When are we bringing it back?”

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The answer is now. Exclusively at Factory of Terror. The hours are Friday from 7 to 11 p.m., Saturday 6 to 11 p.m.

Quill again expects attendance to be very good. Two sold-out nights would not surprise him. He suggests purchasing tickets ($40 online, $45 at the door if available) in advance.

Actor Vannessa Raposa is among the evil entities that await visitors at the new and improved Factory of Terror, 120 Pearl St., Fall River.
Actor Vannessa Raposa is among the evil entities that await visitors at the new and improved Factory of Terror, 120 Pearl St., Fall River.

In his very respectful and friendly way, Quill declined to specify what any of the “Extreme Fears” rooms/areas will be like. On the FOT’s website, it does say that this show is not recommended for those younger than 18 and that participants may experience:

  • Intense and graphic situations

  • Claustrophobic areas

  • Being restrained

  • Psychological stress

  • Periods of extreme darkness.

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Special safety considerations

Participants may use a “safe word” to opt out of any situation while still being able to move onto the subsequent ones.

“We’re simulating danger in a safe and controlled environment,” Quill said.

He said FOT for this event is taking “a ton of safety precautions” and staff training has been very extensive. This is not, he said, something they’re just throwing together now that the regular FOT season has finished its run. FOT uses 60-plus security cameras.

Quill said there were no issues with “Extreme Fears” during its Seekonk run and he and his creative staff and working staff are exited to bring it indoors at Factory of Terror, 120 Pearl St.

Years ago Quill, who bought FOT two years ago, said, he read about other extreme haunted house-like shows. He liked the concept but wanted to make sure it could be a fun, group experience, even though one might this Friday or Saturday find herself or himself separated from their group, at least temporarily.

Quill said he he sat on the extreme idea for a year before moving forward. “The logistics are quite complex,” he said. “I kicked the idea to our creative team. We have a very talented group of people who work on this.

“We’re not torturing people,” he added. “We want people to go right to the very edge of their comfort zone. It’s that adrenaline rush. It’s a tough one to describe without experiencing it. … It feels like chaos and bedlam, with people trusting us to keep this safe.”

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.factoryofterror.com/extreme-fears.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Factory of Terror in Fall River offering Extreme Fears shows Nov. 4, 5