Toenail fungus cookies, resurrected corpses and scary séances. If you thought All Hallows’ Eve was for kids, think again.
From debauched, Kafka-esque gatherings in Satanic halls to an exhibition of anatomically correct desserts, London will be celebrating this spooky time in its usual darkly flamboyant style. Here, we highlight some of our favourite events.
For the uninitiated, The Last Tuesday Society is renowned for its elegant, exhibitionist parties – but, be warned, there’s always a twist.
So expect things to go bump (and grind) in the night at its two Halloween extravaganzas.
Held in an abandoned picture palace, Satan’s Rout (October 26) will be recreating five infamous parties from the world of literature. Expect murder scenes, corpses, a gay orchestra and electric shock treatment.
The following night, those with a penchant for all things undead will find their cravings sated at The Halloween Masked Ball.
Try to contact those in the after-world in the séance room, experiment with instruments of torture or dance the night away in candlelit hallways.
“It wouldn’t be Halloween if it didn’t feel just a little like hell… strange beasts feasting on things and doing thoroughly nasty things to each other, but in a beautiful, drunken way,” event host Viktor Wynd says.
“There will be dancing, there will be feasting, there will be blood, there will be corners to hide in, rooms to lose yourself in, people to meet, people to hide from.”
Mark our words, glamorous attire is a must and nudity is encouraged – these parties aren’t for wallflowers.
If that sound more like melodrama than a good giggle, how about tucking into a wedding cake decorated to resemble sexually transmitted diseases?
Chomp on frighteningly realistic melanoma cupcakes and swallow polycystic kidney cakes at a bizarre anatomy-themed festival at London’s Pathology Museum.
Curated by Emma Thomas, aka Miss Cakehead, Eat Your Heart Out (October 26-28) will attempt to educate visitors about anatomy and disease through the unusual medium of cakes, cookies and cocktails.
Baker Jeni Powell is creating a range of horrific-looking treats for the event based on venereal diseases, one of which will be a five-tier wedding cake with each layer reflecting a different STD.
“The process always starts with getting the idea and researching it – not for the faint-hearted in this kind of project!” Powell says.
“Then it’s just about playing with different techniques to get the most realistic effect possible.
“I tried quite a few ways to get a scab looking good, but crushed up cornflakes mixed with lemon curd and painted with edible paints was the winner.”
However, don’t think you’ll just be going down for a dose of Halloween horror – make sure you bring a ravenous appetite with you.
“There’s as much emphasis on taste as appearance,” Powell says.
“If you can get over the fact that it looks like you’re eating warts or carbuncles or drinking stomach contents, you’re in for a real treat.”
Happy Halloween!
Last Tuesday Society
Eat Your Heart Out
Read more: More Halloween listings
Image: Sin Bozkurt