When a piece of devastating news tears through the present, an ancient legend awakens. Black Shuck comes roaring out of English folklore, teeth bared, eyes blazing and nothing is ever the same again.

 

This standout tale from Michael's childhood came to a fore when he received a cancer diagnosis, which led to weaving this personal account of how his life changed forever. What begins as a traditional retelling of a rural myth, transforms into a deeply personal reckoning with fate, fear, and the stories that shape us.
 
Whether you believe in the supernatural or simply the power of a well-told tale, this unsettling folk-horror experience will leave you questioning whether what frightens us most is what binds us together. Blending live performance with an immersive spatial soundscape, we invite you to confront the legend face to face.

                

Creative Team:

Performer and Writer: Michael Lambourne
Sound Artist/Musician: Adam P McCready
Director: Angharad Jones
Lighting: Mark Pritchard
Creative Consultant: Joe Strickland

This new production in development combined live theatrical performance and 360 degree spatial audio, assisted by the Virtual & Immersive Production Studio, University of Nottingham and with support from Immersive Arts UK.

We ran a series of test performances in difference spaces in October 2025.

2025 Test performances:

Wed 29 October
St John the Baptist Church (Cathedral of the Peak), Tideswell, Derbyshire SK17 8LF

Thurs 30 October
Senior Hall, Girls' High School, Nottingham NG1 4JB

Fri 31 October
Geddington Village Hall , Geddington, Northants NN14 1AA 

Sat 1 November   
Cat Asylum Brewery, Collingham, Newark, Notts NG23 7NP 

Age guidance: 15yrs+  (12+ if accompanied by parents)
Approx 60 mins (without an interval)
Contains occasional sudden loud noises and material that some may find unsettling.