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Garth Marenghi announces new novel and UK book tour

'Incarcerat' will be published on Halloween 2023

By Joe Goggins

Garth Marenghi press shot, 2022
The one-man fear factory is back with 'Incarcerat'. (Photo: Hal Shinnie)

Garth Marenghi, the self-styled master of the macabre, will publish a new novel on Halloween and embark upon a UK book tour to promote it.

The cult comedy character, portrayed by Matthew Holness, released his first book, TerrorTome, last year, and will now follow it up with Incarcerat on October 31. Like last year, he will hit the road around the UK, with 14 speaking dates in the diary to mark the arrival of the novel. The book will follow on from TerrorTome in focusing on the adventures of horror author Nick Steen, as he continues to battle the shadowy world around him and his own mind. 

According to an official synopsis, “Steen is abducted and imprisoned at Nulltec, a shadowy technological research facility hidden deep among the Stalkford downs. There, he is tested and interfered with by a team of scientific experts determined to nullify his escaping imagination.”

Having sold 27,000 tickets over six months last year whilst promoting TerrorTome, Marenghi will again tour in support of Incarcerat, appearing in Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Brighton, Southampton, Colchester, Bournemouth, Bath, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield. You can see full details of the dates below; tickets go on sale here on Friday (April 14) at 10am.

Incarcerat continues Holness’ revival of a character who was first taken to the hearts of cult comedy fans over two decades ago, first with the stage shows Garth Marenghi’s Fright Knight and Garth Marenghi’s Netherhead and then with the television series Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Now, Marenghi appears imbued with a new sense of urgency about his work, as he explained to Rolling Stone UK last year.  “I only have 15 or so years left on this planet. Twenty, if I give up red meat, but that’s not an option,” he says. “I have no time for lesser minds and what they deem ‘work.’”

Garth Marenghi, October 2023:

30 – Leeds, City Varieties Music Hall

31 – Newcastle, Tyne Theatre and Opera House

November 2023:

1 – Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre

2 – Manchester, Academy

3 – Birmingham, Town Hall

4 – London, Palladium

8 – Brighton, Dome Concert Hall

9 – Southampton, MAST Mayflower Studios

10 – Colchester, Charter Hall

15 – Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom

16 – Bath, Komedia

17 – Cardiff, New Theatre

18 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall

19 – Sheffield, Octagon Theatre