A Perth Royal Show haunted house attraction criticised over its portrayal of the mentally ill will change its theme to portray the outbreak of a deadly contagion.
The Royal Agricultural Society of WA (RASWA) announced the name of the attraction – Bethlem Sanatorium – would be changed to “Mayhem Manor” following concerns raised by mental health groups.
The Bethlem Sanatorium ride was originally to feature 20 actors pretending to be patients in a ward at the notorious hospital, commonly known as Bedlam.
The institution, the first of its kind in Britain, was founded as a hospital in the 13th century and known for its cruel treatment of patients.
The hospital itself – which is still in operation, providing specialist mental health facilities for more than 450,000 patients a year – today called on the RASWA to pull the offensive ride.
Doctor Matthew Patrick said the ride promoted the perception of “scary mental health patients”.
The WA Mental Health Association, the Consumers of Mental Health group and WA Mental Health Minister Helen Morton also condemned the attraction.
RASWA, which runs the Perth Royal Show, said in light of the feedback they had “worked with the attraction owner to make changes”.
Chief executive Peter Cooper also met with Consumers of Mental Health WA executive director Shauna Gaebler over the issue.
In a statement, Mr Cooper said while the attraction was not designed to cause offence, “clearly some members of the public did not feel it was appropriate”.
“We think it is essential that we take notice of the groundswell of support from mental health advocacy groups in the community over this issue,” he said.
In a statement, the RASWA said: “The attraction will remain a haunted house thrill attraction but its name will change and historical mental health references will be removed. The exhibit will be themed around the outbreak of a deadly contagion.”