Staff at the York Dungeon welcomed a very special guest yesterday for an exclusive day of behind-the-scenes tours, live performances, and a chance to become one of the actors who bring the attraction to life.
Eighteen year old Dungeon super fan Samuel Roper travelled from Leighton Buzzard for a bespoke experience at he Clifford Street site.
He has a passion for Dungeons across the UK and has visited each of them a number of times.
However, thanks to its immersive effects, smells, and Viking connections, York is his favourite.
For Samuel, a particular highlight at the York Dungeon had always been the Monk section, where character Father Robert Dolby would once greet guests as they entered the dungeons.
So much so, he was keen to learn the lines for himself.
When Samuel’s father, Mark Roper, reached out to team requesting the script, general manager Mark Mattinson informed him that after 15 years, the Monk section had been retired from the attraction.
To make up for it, the team invited Samuel and Mark to once again visit the dungeons, only this time, Samuel was offered the chance to step into the role of Father Robert Dolby for a day.
Not only would Samuel get to perform for live audiences, he’d also receive a full behind-the-scenes tour of the dungeon.
Mark Mattinson said, “We became aware of Samuel’s love for our ‘orrible attraction, and when we learned that he had already had a similar experience with the team at the London Dungeon we are really pleased that we have been able to fulfil his wish of spending the day at his favourite dungeon – sorry London!”
Arriving in York on Sunday evening, Samuel and his dad prepared for a jam-packed day on Monday.
Their visit began at 9am with a warm welcome from the team, including Hannah, the dungeon’s performance team leader, who supported Samuel throughout his performances.
Their tour included a guided walk through the backstage areas, show rooms, and actor pathways, giving Samuel insight into the spaces he’d be performing in.
Following this, he was swiftly sent for makeup and costume to transform into Father Robert Dolby with a long dark cloak, and stage makeup complete with fake dirt, lines and wrinkles, and a ghostly white base.
After rehearsals, Samuel stepped into the spotlight outside the mirror maze, taking on the role of Father Robert Dolby to lead guests into the room featuring Guy Fawkes and John Wright.
Dungeon manager Mark praised the young performer, telling YorkMix: “The performance team took him under their wing, and probably squeezed about three days worth of induction and training into about an hour. Bless him, he’s done a fantastic job.”
Between performances, Samuel shared what he loves most about the York Dungeon.
“It’s such a great experience, there’s so much history, it’s so cool. I really enjoy the Viking scene, when you go in there the smells are so realistic, and it gets even stronger the deeper you go,” he told YorkMix.
He added, “My favourite scene now has to be the torture room now the waiting room has changed, just because it has such good props in it.”
Reflecting on the day, Mark told YorkMix: “Samuel did so well in taking everything in from the moment that he arrived, and threw himself straight into performing some lines for our team in our morning briefing having only been on site for 90 minutes!
“It has been great to see him revive our character, Father Robert Dalby. After learning that this was Samuel’s favourite part of our tour, we couldn’t think of a better part for him to play.
“We know how much the Dungeon brand means to our guests, and it is warmed even our cold dungeon hearts to see how much Samuel has enjoyed being a part of our team today.”