Little Lark of London

“It is one of the strangest stories ever told”

What happens when you mix together a Gothic novel, a pantomime and Monty Python, with a splash of RuPaul’s Drag Race? You get Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors. The show, written by Gordon Greenberg (who also directs) and Steve Rosen, follows the general plot of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which tells the tale of a solicitor, Jonathan Harker (Charlie Stemp), who meets the infamous Count Dracula (James Daly) and must fight to save his friends and family.

This particular production, however, is not as scary as one might expect from such a thrilling tale. Instead, Greenberg and Rosen have created a camp version of the classic, turning Dracula into a man who looks like he just walked out of an Abercrombie & Fitch ad and who dials the drama up with his sass and attitude. The set, designed by Tijana Bjelajac, is also a mix of the old and new, with the centre of the set being more Gothic and the edges bearing bright lights (with lighting designed by Ben Cracknell) that resemble the wings of a bat – cute and clever. 

A highlight of the show is that there are only five actors taking on all of the different roles, ranging from wolves in the woods to characters from the novel. Dianne Pilkington is a delight to watch, doing some of the most impressive changes, including some between Dr. Westfeldt and Renfield that happen in front of the audience’s eyes! The only performer who doesn’t play multiple roles is Daly, whose attention is solely focused on the titular vampire. The role-switching is assisted by Tristan Raines, who has made costumes that can be easily thrown off and pulled on as needed, with the exception of Dracula’s costumes, which are extravagant and just as camp as one would expect from a production like this. 

There have been several changes made to the original plot of the novel, which one would expect from a ninety-minute comedy adaptation. Dracula is a “terrifying(ly narcissistic)” pansexual who is interested in both Jonathan and his soon-to-be wife, which makes for some fun bits of dialogue. Jonathan is now engaged to Lucy Westfeldt (Safeena Ladha), who brings a feminist tone to the show as a female scientist who is afraid of nothing – something Dracula is incredibly attracted to. Mina (Sebastian Torkia), who Jonathan is engaged to in the novel, is now Lucy’s strange sister, who is determined to find herself a suitor, no matter how horrified they are of her. Van Helsing becomes a female character, a fierce German doctor played by Torkia, who spends most of the show cross-dressing as two wildly different characters. 

Unfortunately, while it is quite fun, the show never really finds its footing, flitting between different styles of comedy and never leaving enough of an impact. When Dracula first enters in a lace crop top and leather trousers, one imagines that the show is going down the path of The Rocky Horror Show. However, other than a few more “adult” scenes (including a particularly hilarious one taking place in a carriage) the show’s content is relatively tame, with the most scandal coming from some open-mouth kissing with tongue. 

There are also some sound issues with the show, which led to multiple audience members (including myself) covering their ears whenever a bat began screeching. The scene changes also tended to be loud noises and flashing lights, which was a bit unnecessary and made irritating by the high level of the sound. 

Ultimately, Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors is a silly send-up of Bram Stoker’s Dracula that will definitely provide plenty of laughs, even if it’s not the strongest show. The five performers do a fantastic job of taking on all of the different characters and it’s always fun to see a classic in a new light!

Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors runs from 8 March to 3 May at the Menier Chocolate Factory. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.