K.C. Finn is a writer, performer, and show runner who also works under the name of Mr Brake Down as a drag king. He lives on a narrowboat that frequently roams the wilds of Cheshire and Shropshire and is the founder of the Upside Down Cabaret variety show that happens monthly at Chester Live Rooms. You will find him leading our tours as Dug, the grave digger!
Tell us about you and what got you into acting?
I’ve always been interested in storytelling, whether that’s crafting those stories for myself in the form of novels, plays, and poems, or bringing characters and situations to life on stage and screen from the words of others. Most of all, real people and their histories fascinate me, especially the darker, more turbulent stories of unusual people in strange situations. As a horror writer by day and a ghost tour guide by night, I’d like to think I’ve landed nicely in a situation where I get to enjoy all of these things for a living!
What is the best part of the Dead Good Ghost Tour for you?
My favourite thing about being Dug is getting to know the crowd as we walk around and discover where they’re from and what has drawn them into a spooky night of entertainment and history with us. I love meeting local people who are exploring the city of Chester in a new light, as well as new visitors who I get to show around the city I call home and that I’ve come to love so dearly. Plus, it’s always a delight to get to flex the storytelling muscles with so many interesting gory tales and opportunities for the dark side of my sense of humour to shine!
Any favourite spots in Chester you would recommend seeing before or after the tour?
Lower Bridge Street, where we always end our tours, is a fantastic location that showcases a lot of eerie history and some of the oldest buildings Chester has to offer. As well as the gorgeous ceilings and fireplaces of the Brewery Tap, our very last tour stop, I’d also definitely recommend popping down to the Bear and Billet pub to see their stunning architecture across three floors that dates back to 1664, and into Ye Olde King’s Head, a haunted pub that even has its own YouTube channel of otherworldly occurrences! Of course, if you need to wind down away from history and scary things, the Liverpool Arms up near our tour starting point has a fantastic programme of entertainment throughout the week, from drag and comedy to karaoke and music into the night!
