The School of Survival’s cult hit seminar How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse from After Dark Entertainment has done it again by scooping the prestigious Best International Show award at the recent Hollywood Fringe Festival (16th – 26th June).

Nominated alongside fellow Brits Mahalo Theatre Collective and Australian Illusionist Simon Coronel, The School of Survival received their coveted FREAK award at the closing ceremony which was voted on by fellow Fringe Participants, Critics and Fringe audience members through the Hollywood Fringe Website.

‘When we decided to go and visit L.A. our main concern was whether US audiences would get our off the wall slightly crazy seminar’ says Ben Muir who plays School of Survival Guru Dr Dale, ‘but the response to the show was phenominal  – we were completely blown away by how enthusiastic our audiences were to get involved and stay alive (even though we had one of the worst survival rates ever!)’

The show proved to be an equal success with the critics who reaped it in praise:

‘An hilarious hour long experience that will probably kill you’
L.A. Theatre Review

‘Incredible! This play is like no other, and this cast is one of the funniest I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing’
L.A. Examiner

‘Be there or be dead! Don’t miss it’
Things to do in L.A.

‘This well-oiled sketch show, a sort-of “Battling the Undead for Dummies”, is a sure thing!’
engine28

‘The seminar was a lot of fun, highly informative and took the form of hilarious deadly serious sketches’
Turnstyle

Moreover, as part of the Fringe Outreach program. After Dark took their production to Bancroft Middle School to perform to over 300 students – after which they received an email of thanks from the drama teacher citing that the production had been ‘the most successful  he had seen visit the school in his 7 years as a teacher’.

Despite the resounding success of the show, it will be all coming to an end soon! (The show, not the world, although possibly that too…) The School of Survival will be presenting the very last of their Zombie Survival seminars How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse : THE END IS NIGH at the Edinburgh Fringe this year at Zoo Southside and then the characters will be no more.

‘We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to kill them all at the end of the show’, says Ben Muir (Dr Dale) ‘but we’re definitely not doing any more live shows with the characters after this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. That’s not to say we won’t resurrect them to return to Hollywood in 2012 – but bear in mind, that is when the world is supposed to end so we may actually need the School of Survival’s help when that happens!’

But don’t worry about not being able to attend any more survival seminars, the indispensable book Dr Dale’s Zombie Dictionary: The A-Z Guide to Staying Alive will keep you safe long after class is dismissed.

To buy the book click here
For info on the show click here
To purchase tickets for the final Edinburgh Fringe click here
For press enquiries contact chiara@allisonandbusby.com