Edinburgh Fringe to Host World’s First Found Footage Horror Stage Show
A new production at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe is the world’s first ever “found footage horror” stage show. The Dare Witch Project, running August 2 to August 24 at the Voodoo Rooms, brings the horror film genre’s signature style—where footage is presented as if discovered after the events—into live theatre for the first time.
The show parodies the 1999 cult film The Blair Witch Project, which famously convinced some audiences that its story was real thanks to a ground-breaking viral marketing campaign.
The Dare Witch Project begins as a work-in-progress screening of a horror documentary and quickly descends into a living nightmare, as the on-screen threat escapes into the real world. Packed with late 1990s and early 2000s nostalgia, this one-man show combines vintage camcorder footage, live performance, and psychological illusion in a fourth-wall-breaking immersive experience.
Meet The Show’s Makers
The show’s creators, neurodivergent siblings Charlotte and David Alnwick—the latter a magician and psychological illusionist—say the production uses mentalism techniques inspired by performers like Derren Brown to make audiences question not just what they see, but what they think.
“Found footage is designed to erode the fourth wall,” David Alnwick explains. “In the 90s, people were more willing to believe the found footage claim, but today audiences are more sceptical. That’s why we’re using psychological illusions, similar to Derren Brown’s shows, to make the audience question the reality of it all. Could it be real?”
The show draws inspiration from today’s “post-truth” culture, where reality is often distorted and manipulated online. “Members of our family have been fooled by deepfake videos, which blur fact and fiction in ways never seen before,” says co-creator Charlotte Alnwick. “In many ways, The Blair Witch Project was the original blueprint for this kind of viral deception.”
No Prior Found Footage Knowledge Necessary
The Dare Witch Project mixes parody with horror, but the producers insist prior knowledge of The Blair Witch Project isn’t required. The story stands alone, though fans of the film and the found footage genre will likely spot familiar themes.
The Dare Witch Project will run at the Voodoo Rooms from 2–24 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025. The performances are free/non-ticketed as part of the PBH Free Fringe. Learn more and reserve your tickets here.
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