Well, if you’ve read our last post on Castle Horror’s Zombie MAYhem, you’ll know we had an absolute (Tay) whale of a time! Saturday past was no exception either as we rocked up to Mains Castle for the 2nd instalment of the zombie madness. The first thing we noticed was the size of the group of volunteers – there were almost 50 men and women of all ages eagerly awaiting their zombie training.
Once the introductions and videos were out of the way for those who didn’t see them at the first induction, things swiftly and expertly progressed into the training, which was exactly what we had come to witness. Whilst the zombie recruits began their warm-up exercises (it seriously takes a lot out of you to play a zombie), Carroll and I headed down to their hearse for a wee look. Yes, I said hearse. If you’ve not seen it going about, where have you been? Huge black hearse. Castle Horror logo on the back window. Skeleton in the passenger seat. You’ve got to see it to believe it in all it’s gothic, creepy goodness. It may not be to some people’s tastes, but you’ve got to admit, it is marketing genius! I for one, was super excited to be getting in it, and wasted no time in crawling into the space in the back reserved for the coffin.
Louise was standing outside with a mixture of horror and amusement on her face as Carroll climbed into the back beside me, hauling the skeleton with her. If ever there was a time to get photos, this would be it. Louise quickly grabbed her phone as Carroll and I happily posed in the back, laughing so hard at times our bellies hurt. Never did I think I would ever be laughing and capering in the back of an old hearse, but there you go! Whilst we were having a blast outside, the zombies had been through their initial paces, and were ready for group work. Katrina Sturrock from Facetoface was on hand to provide cosmetic effects to a couple of people, so I was more than happy to volunteer Louise for the job!
Stevie Douglas was the trainer (or Zombie Wrangler) from Scare Scotland, who expertly led the group through their paces. Whilst fun is most certainly near the top of the agenda, it’s safety which is of paramount importance to everyone holding the event. Personal safety and the safety of others is spoken about constantly, to ensure that everyone knows exactly what is expected of them and how they should act at all times during the event. The enthusiasm of the volunteers was almost palpable as they put their all into their performances. By the end of the session, even I was getting a bit freaked out at how noisy and real this army of undead were becoming. Despite being dressed casually and having on no makeup, they had already upped the scare factor. I cannot wait to see what they will be like at the dress rehearsal!
After the singular performances, Carroll played the victim for zombie hoard training. As they dragged her to the ground and relentlessly simulated devouring her, I could see a wee speck of fear crossing her face, and she’s used to this sort of attention! I was just glad it wasn’t me they were mauling. The ‘officers’ were all geared up and looking pretty hot, playing with their weapons in the corner of the adjoining room as Katrina continued to work her magic on Louise, transforming her into a member of the undead with the help of a lot of latex, make-up and fake blood. Not to be outdone, Scott showed us some of his latest latex offerings too, on his phone (but we’ll not go into any more detail that that for now!)
By the time Katrina was done with Louise, she looked the best she’s ever looked! What made it even better was that she was heading over to her Mum’s after we’d been to see the Castle Horror gang, so her Mum got a bit of a surprise when she turned up looking bruised, battered and covered in blood! There’s always great fun to be had when Dark Dundee get together with Castle Horror, and we always look forward to seeing them. If you haven’t already got your tickets for Zombie MAYhem, I suggest you buy them now, because they are selling out fast. We promise you, you won’t want to miss this if you’re a fan of zombies, horror in general and love to get a good scare!
– DD Tours operates walking tours in Dundee city, covering dark local history such as wars, battles, murders, diseases, riots, disasters and executions. Walk with us for an unforgettable storytelling experience.
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