Exclusive zombie horror musical preview will be pure dead brilliant!

The premiere showing of Anna and the Apocalypse at The Hippodrome this Saturday will be extra special as its Scotland-based cast and crew will join members of the audience for the screening, which will be preceded by a zombie make-up demonstration.

This genre mash-up (think Shaun of the Dead meets High School Musical) involves a rare female zombie survivalist in the form of Anna who’s desperate to get out of her dreary home town where everything is too familiar.

As the night of the high school Christmas concert approaches, matters begin to get seriously weird and bloody when the undead arrive in town.

Not prepared to just let this invasion pass without incident, Anna and her friends decide to band together and fight back.

Although Halloween may just have passed, the movie isn’t due out until the end of this month, meaning organisers have secured a real coup.

Alison Strauss, arts development officer at Falkirk Community Trust (FCT), has set up the screening with support from Film Hub Scotland.

She said: “I was fortunate to see the film when it premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June and knew it would be a sure fire winner with our audiences.

“The characters are fresh, the songs are catchy and fans of zombie films will appreciate the original and funny take on the genre.

“The film isn’t out on general release until then end of November so I was thrilled when the distributors, Vertigo, agreed to let us screen it at The Hippodrome the weekend after Halloween.

“We have been told that the cast and crew who worked on the movie will join us at the screening which is very exciting.

“It would be pure dead brilliant if our audiences came dressed and made-up as zombies for a terrifyingly good photo opportunity with the stars.”

Claire Strathern, who runs special effects and bridal make-up business Claire’s Make-up Artistry in Stirling, is excited about the opportunity she has been given to offer the audience an insight into how the horrifying sights seen in such films are created.

Claire said: “Special effects make-up is my true passion and I’m really looking forward to sharing some insider tips on how everyone can achieve great zombie effects themselves at home.”

Tickets for this event cost £5 and everyone who attends will be given a special code to claim two-for-one briefs at The Hippodrome for future screenings.

To book your seats in advance, call the box office on 01324 506850 or visit the website at www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/venues/hippodrome.