The Hatchetfield Series

The Hatchetfield Series is a horror-comedy musical series created by Nick and Matt Lang set within the Hatchetfield Universe. Production of the series began in 2018. Since that time, three musicals as well as two livestreamed web series, including eight stories in total, have been produced. The series has amassed over 10 million views on YouTube. Each installment in the Series is written by Nick and Matt Lang and is accompanied by music and lyrics written by Jeff Blim. The Hatchetfield Series marks StarKid's first series since the A Very Potter Musical trilogy.

The first musical in the Hatchetfield Series was The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (2018) which was followed by Black Friday (2019). These were later followed by two series of live readings: Nightmare Time and Nightmare Time 2. The third musical in the series, Nerdy Prudes Must Die, was performed in 2023. The short film Workin' Boys was released October 13, 2023. There are also special one-off Nightmare Time episodes which have been performed such as Hey, Melissa! (2022).

Musicals[]

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals[]

Everything in Hatchetfield seemed normal until people began singing... Then, they began dancing... And now, a musical pandemic is sweeping the entire city. It’s up to Paul Matthews (an average guy who doesn’t like musicals) and his friends to stop this musical apocalypse and fight for humanity’s future.

The musical was first announced on June 18th, 2018, via a Kickstarter announcement. The Kickstarter gained 3,419 backers and raised $127,792. The show opened at the Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles on October 11th, 2018, and ran until November 11th, 2018, and marked StarKid's debut in Los Angeles. The show was the StarKid debut for Jon Matteson and Mariah Rose Faith Casillas. The shows recording was then released on YouTube on December 24th, 2018.

Black Friday[]

When the holiday season’s hottest new toy, the Tickle-Me Wiggly, hits the shelves, the city of Hatchetfield goes mad for it, literally. That’s when Tom Houston, Lex Foster, Becky Barnes and a few familiar faces, must fight through a sea of murderous mallgoers to save humanity from an inter dimensional being with a taste for chaos. When Wiggly comes to town, will the world survive Black Friday?

The musical was first announced on April 2, 2019 via a YouTube trailer. The musical acted as part of StarKid's 10niversary celebrations and was funded alongside StarKid Homecoming. The Kickstarter gained 11,704 backers and raised $547,439. The show opened at the Hudson Theatre, Los Angeles on October 31st, 2019 and ran until December 4, 2019. The show marked the StarKid debut of Curt Mega, Angela Giarratana, Kim Whalen, Kendall Nicole and marked the StarKid acting debut of James Tolbert. The show's recording was then released on YouTube on February 29, 2020.

Nerdy Prudes Must Die[]

When the biggest losers at Hatchetfield High unwittingly complete an ancient, evil ritual, they unleash an all- powerful, angry spirit with a grudge against nerds. That’s when Stephanie Lauter, Grace Chasity, and a cast of social rejects must fight to save themselves and nerdy prudes everywhere. But can any of them survive the fury of a bully from beyond the grave?

The musical was first announced on October 11th, 2019, and was due to be performed in the fall of 2020 but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The show was first announced to be in production on October 11, 2019, during the The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals anniversary stream. It was officially announced via a YouTube trailer on June 10, 2022. The show was funded as part of the StarKid Returns backerkit campaign and rehearsals began on January 4, 2023. It ran at the El Portal Theater in Los Angeles from February 16-25, 2023. This show marked the debut of Will Branner, Davis Hamilton, and Virginia Vass. The show's recording is due to be released on digital download on September 15, 2023 and on YouTube on October 13, 2023.

Livestream Readings[]

Nightmare Time[]

Six new tales of terror from the tiny town of Hatchetfield, read live by the casts of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and Black Friday.

The livestream reading series was first announced on October 1, 2020 via a YouTube trailer. The first episode premiered on YouTube on October 10th, 2020 with the other two episodes premiering via livestream ticket on October 17th and October 24th 2020. The series featured the full casts of both The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals and Black Friday. The final two episodes were then released on YouTube on February 14th, 2021.

The Hatchetfield Ape-Man[]

Lucy Stockworth, an English duchess who visits Hatchetfield every year in search of the mythic ‘Wooly-Foot,’ is about to give up the hunt when she meets a reclusive biology professor who’s made a startling discovery…

The story premiered as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 1 on October 10th, 2020.

Watcher World[]

Bill & Alice Woodward head for a day of daddy-daughter bonding at Watcher World, an aging amusement park on the edge of Hatchetfield. But there’s more to this frightening funfair than meets the eye…

The story premiered as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 1 on October 10th, 2020.

Forever and Always[]

Paul Matthews and Emma Perkins are getting married, but before the tie the knot the happy couple must come to terms with a terrible secret from Emma's dark past...

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 2 on October 17th, 2020. It premiered on YouTube on February 14th, 2021.

Time Bastard[]

Ted, the horny bastard from CCRP's technical department, discovers that his office is a time machine. Will he use this awesome ability to save his life... or doom us all?

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 2 on October 17th, 2020. It premiered on YouTube on February 14th, 2021.

Jane's A Car[]

After a year and a half of repairs, widower Tom Houston is reunited with his newly restored 1986 Foxbody Mustang, only to find that the car now carries a ghostly passenger…

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 3 on October 24th, 2020. It premiered on YouTube on February 14th, 2021.

The Witch in the Web[]

When Hannah Foster’s dreams are haunted by an evil witch, and her friend, Webby, goes missing, she’ll need the help of a mysterious woman with strange powers to escape her own nightmare time…

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time: Episode 3 on October 24th, 2020. It premiered on YouTube on February 14th, 2021.

Nightmare Time 2[]

You thought you were safe… that the nightmare was over… but somehow you’ve wandered back to that tiny town at the edge of reality, where eldritch forces wait to swallow you whole! No use running. One way or another… Nightmare Time is gonna get you! Welcome back to Hatchetfield for a brand new season of spine-tingling tales. Six scary stories over four frightening episodes, Nightmare Time 2 takes you further into a world where evil things grow in strange woods. Where secret societies worship dark masters. Where even a song can kill. Join Linda Monroe, Frank Pricely, Lex Foster, and a cast of bizarre beings and nerdy prudes both old and new. Cower in fear. Scream in terror. Howl in despair… For Nightmare Time 2 has come!

The livestream reading was first teased on October 30, 2020 via the Nightmare Time talkback stream. It was officially announced on October 8th, 2021 via YouTube trailer. Each episode premiered via livestream ticket on October 23rd and 30th and November 6th and 13th, 2021. The show marked the StarKid debut of Jae Hughes and Bryce Charles. The series was released weekly on YouTube from May 20-June 10, 2022.

Honey Queen[]

It’s that time of year again… time for the Hatchetfield Honey Festival! And, of course, the whole town is wondering, “Who will be crowned this year’s Honey Queen?” When upper-crust socialite Linda Monroe sets her sights on the crown, she makes an enemy of cutthroat barista Zoey Chambers. Soon, what’s meant to be a pleasant pageant becomes a bloody nightmare as the two bitter rivals lie, cheat, steal, and kill their way to the top. It’s a battle to the death for the coveted throne of the Honey Queen.

The story premiered via livestream ticket as the only story in Nightmare Time 2: Episode 1 on October 23rd, 2022. It premiered on YouTube on May 20, 2022.

Perky's Buds[]

It’s finally happened. Emma Perkins has her pot farm… and it’s glorious. The only problem? Those checkered-tail nighthawks that keep eating her weed! As the Hatchetfield Honey Festival approaches, Emma and her farmhand/graphic designer, Ziggs, fight to protect Perky’s Buds from malevolent forces who’ll stop at nothing to destroy the farm… or claim it for their own.

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time 2: Episode 2 on October 30th, 2022. It premiered on YouTube on May 27, 2022.

Abstinence Camp[]

Some kids dread it. Others look forward to it all year. That’s right… Abstinence Camp. Where Hatchetfield’s youth are sent to “Just. Say. No!” When nerdy prude Grace Chasity inadvertently starts a rumor about cool & popular Stephanie Lauter, the two find themselves stuck together for the summer. Along with a cast of kooky counselors and fellow campers, they discover the terrible secret of these woods. That something… or someone watches over them. Someone who punishes those that do not abstain. Someone who lumbers. Someone… with an axe!

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time 2: Episode 2 on October 30th, 2022. It is due to be released on YouTube on May 27, 2022.

Daddy[]

Frank Pricely is a down-on-his luck toy store owner. As his business is slowly crushed by giant, online retailers, Frank struggles to make ends meet. His only loyal customer is a spoiled-rotten man-child named Sherman Young. When Frank hits it off with Sherman’s rich, widowed mother (Sheila), he sees a golden opportunity to save Toy Zone… by marrying Sheila and becoming Sherman’s Daddy! But Frank soon discovers there’s more to the Youngs than meets the eye, and that being the daddy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time 2: Episode 3 on November 6th, 2022. It premiered on YouTube on June 3, 2022.

Killer Track[]

It’s been spread online, at parties, in the backs of beat-up, old vans… the song… The Killer Track. Hear it, and seven days later you die. But it’s just an urban legend, right? Rose is about to find out. When she’s played the song by an alluring stranger, she can’t escape the haunting tune. With time running out, Rose seeks help from a kindly social worker named Duke and a mysterious woman with strange powers, Miss Holloway. Her craft put to the ultimate test, can Miss Holloway save Rose (and all of Hatchetfield) from the Killer Track?

The story premiered via livestream ticket as part of Nightmare Time 2: Episode 3 on November 6th, 2022. It premiered on YouTube on June 3, 2022.

Yellow Jacket[]

When Hannah Foster has an accident in shop class, she racks up a massive medical bill that her sister/primary care-giver, Lex, has no way to pay. But Hannah’s not like other fifteen-year-olds. She has a gift. A power. An immense psychic ability she can’t control or understand. Desperate for cash, Hannah decides to use her “gift” in a deadly competition that’ll pit her against other psychic kids for a chance to win big. But there are nefarious forces behind these “games.” Does Hannah have the sting it takes to survive? Can she become… the Yellow Jacket?

The story premiered via livestream ticket as the only story in Nightmare Time 2: Episode 4 on November 13th, 2022. It premiered on YouTube on June 10, 2022.

Nightmare Time Special Episode[]

Hey, Melissa![]

Paul Matthews and his co-workers are in for a bizarre adventure involving a creep named Freddie and CCRP's bubbly office manager, Melissa.

Hey, Melissa! was read live as part of the Nerdy Prudes Must Die livestream made to fund the StarKid Returns backerkit campaign.

Short Films[]

Workin' Boys[]

'Workin' Boys' tells the story of Professor Henry Hidgens (played by Jeff Blim) who sets out to produce his dream musical at the Starlight Theater, and things don’t go according to plan. Now one man’s dream will become one town’s nightmare. Hatchetfield is up to its ass in shit, and five-o-clock can’t come soon enough!

The short film was first announced on April 11th, 2019 as a stretch goal for the StarKid 10niversary celebration kickstarter. The goal of $350,000 was hit on April 25th, 2019. The film was due to be filmed and produced in Spring 2020 but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The short film was released on October 13, 2023 as part of the Hatchetfield Halloween Party. It was later released to patrons on October 31st, 2023. It was released on YouTube on April 27, 2024 as part of a stretch goal for the Cinderella's Castle KickStarter.

Music[]

Accolades[]

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals[]

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals received fifteen nominations in twelve categories at the 2019 BroadwayWorld.com Los Angeles Regional Awards. It was nominated in every category for which it was eligible, that is to say, every local (non-touring) musical category. It won in every category except three. Every actor in the musical was nominated for their performance except for Jeff Blim. Every nominee in the category Best Featured Actor in a Musical was from The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals.