The Night of the Werewolves at a secret Oldham venue

Theatre usually asks audiences to sit quietly in the dark and behave a certain way. However, Night of the Werewolves has other ideas. Coming to a top-secret Oldham venue this December, Silent Uproar’s interactive comedy horror invites you to lie, accuse your neighbours and vote to brutally ‘murder’ fellow audience members before the werewolves get to you first.

The premise drops audiences into a cursed 16th-century village where bloodthirsty werewolves are hiding in plain sight. Inspired by cult social deduction games Werewolves and Mafia, and with more than a hint of The Traitors, everyone is given a role before the accusations, alliances and betrayals begin. And if you’d rather not take an active part in the game, you can book a spectator ticket and simply watch the carnage unfold.

The show has been created by Hull-based Silent Uproar, a company with a taste for theatre that is bold, ridiculous and a little bit unruly. Formed above a pub in 2013, the award-winning company has built a reputation for creating lively nights out for younger audiences, combining daring new writing with riotous ideas, difficult subjects and, in their own words, “really stupid jokes”. Night of the Werewolves feels very much in that spirit – less polite night at the theatre, more social experiment with claws.

It has already proved a sell-out hit, with The Guardian awarding the show four stars and describing its immersive chaos as “Traitors-esque” and “a lot of bawdy fun”. With the audience determining how the game unfolds, no two performances are quite the same – and figuring out who can actually be trusted is all part of the fun.

There’s an added treat for Traitors fans in Oldham too. Earlier in the evening, Julie Hesmondhalgh will be fresh from the ‘actual’ Traitors Castle and ready to spill the beans at a special event before the game begins.

And if your December theatre-going usually leans more towards panto, fairy lights and festive cheer, this offers something very different. Dark, silly and completely unpredictable, Night of the Werewolves could be just the thing for anyone after an alternative night out in the run-up to Christmas.