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London Bridge Experience picks its new £30,000-a-year zombies
Peter Dominiczak29.07.09
They were faced with the scariest possible job interview, but today more than 60 people turned up for the chance to be a £30,000-a-year zombie at a London tourist attraction.
Managers of the London Bridge Experience decided two people were fit to play the undead.
Louie McKenna, 23, an actor from Elephant and Castle, and Jeremiah O'Connor, 26, a former archaeologist from Barnes, triumphed after proving they could scare tourists, wield a chainsaw and not be put off by working among severed heads.
Gallery: London Bridge Experience picks its new £30,000-a-year zombies
The London Bridge Experience advertised for “zombies — dead or alive”. It was so overwhelmed by more than 200 applications that it decided to hold an open competition.
Mr O'Connor said he was shocked when he found out he would be scaring visitors during the audition.
“It has been a crazy day. I had no idea they were going to get us scaring actual customers. It went really well though. I just can't wait to start the job now.”
A panel judged the applicants on their ability to terrify customers in the catacombs.
Mr McKenna said he was surprised to get the job after being turned down for the role of a zombie by the rival London Dungeon months ago.
“The Dungeon said I was too intimidating and scary and they told me to tone down my act. Well, I didn't and now I've managed to get a job here. If it looks like people are about to faint it means I've done a good job.”
He will be scaring visitors in the blood-filled butcher room or wield a chainsaw in the dungeons. The £3 million attraction has about 50 zombie workers.
Gallery: London Bridge Experience picks its new £30,000-a-year zombies
Reader views (5)
]As for the zombies, quite a lot of them look too run of the mill for me - either failed art students, or the type people who turn up to BGT and The X Factor in the faint belief they can have an easy life of fame. A little splash of blood, and green face paint just doesn't cut it.
- Jock, London
This isn't an ad for some low level, low pay, "dead end" job at some monolithic corporation? Couldn't the military use some zombies on the front lines? Personally, I would find the site of zombies at their work sites much more terrifying, out of fear that such things could be.
- David Stephen Ball-Romney, Bellevue, USA
Should have recruited some of those MP's from the house of horror, Parliament. But they wouldn't take the job because their expenses would not be covered but they would have tried claiming for the make up costs even though it is supplied for free.
- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark
Wait till the aftermath of Tammi flu vaccination you'll have millions.
- Mike, London
Which MP do we nominate first (my favourite would be Anne Milton, underwhelming Tory MP for Guildford.)
- David, Guildford, UK
