Gothic Panto with more than a touch of camp
Recently the Menier has been on a bit of a roll, and its Dracula; a Comedy of Terrors is no exception.
A Whitehall Farce take on a horror classic, but with a Count who owes more to Tim Curry in his original Rocky Horror role than to Christopher Lee, this is a glorious 5 hander, with a great deal of cross dressing and some amazing quick changes, gaining well earned applause.
A clever set which moves from forest to a Transylvanian castle to numerous Whitby sites (via coaches and sailing ships), not to mention 5 London houses – the numerically significant goth and gay audience had chosen the right show.
James Daly offered a ripped Dracula; Safeena Ladha a convincingly forceful Lucy; Dianne Pilkington a hugely convincing (male) Dr Westfield, and Renfield; Sebastian Torkia as Mina and (Mrs) Van Helsing and Charlie Stemp as (mainly) Jonathan Harker. But only Daly didn’t also further double other characters.
It was a knowing romp, and could easily have been the Menier’s Christmas Pantomime offering, but actually was originally an off-Broadway Maltz Jupiter Theatre production (with James Daly).
It has neither the musical panache of the original Rocky Horror, nor its edge, but it's more a knowing panto than modernist satire. It’s on till the 3rd of May, and I’d still say, go!