Dracula might not be the first story you associate with Christmas, but director and co-writer Jez Bond is definitely evoking the spirit of panto in Park Theatre’s rip-roaring Dracapella. When Stephen Ashfield as Harker quips to the audience (with a satisfied grin), “I couldn’t see myself living in a house with no mirrors,” Ciaran Dowd as Sinister gruffly adds: “If you didn’t like that one, it’s going to be a long night.” That pretty much tells you all you need to know about Dracapella.
This goofy, spoofy take on the old vampire tale starts in a familiar place, with London lawyer Jonathan Harker heading to the Transylvanian abode of the mysterious Count Dracula. He has left his expectant wife Mina in the company of her good friend Lucy, but things get messy when the undead count sees a picture of Mrs Harker and decides she is the reincarnation of his long-lost love. It is your classic love triangle situation, just with a few wooden stakes, vampire bats and a psychiatric hospital added in for good measure.
Bond and co-writer Dan Patterson stuff every type of gag into Dracapella: there is physical comedy, gross-out humour, accents dialled up to eleven and of course, an excess of puns. Like most shows of this ilk, Dracapella operates on the principle of throwing as many jokes at the wall as possible and hoping some of them stick. And like most other shows of the genre, the result is that some jokes are proper gut-busters, some fall completely flat and most land in the pleasant middle ground of generating quick and easy laughs (and plenty of groans too). It does not reach the heady heights of true farcical genius (like that of Mischief Theatre, for example), but it is none-too-shabby either and perfectly enjoyable if not taken too seriously.
As the title suggests, Dracapella is also a musical and one that features no instrumental accompaniment whatsoever. All the music and sound effects are made by the cast with just their voices. It is a jukebox musical, and the pairing of pop standards with a cappella arrangements sometimes feels unfortunately reminiscent of Glee. The arrangements do not always do the greatest justice to the source material. But it is all done with a knowing wink and a nod and the excellent cast helps it all go down with a spoonful of sugar. All the performers are good, but a special shout-out has to go to Keala Settle as Lucy; her incredible pipes are not a surprise after her turn in The Greatest Showman, but she also nails the comedy. And the inclusion of talented beatbox artist ABH Beatbox to provide human foley is inspired.
If double entendres, puns and audience participation are not your thing, be duly warned (and pick your seat carefully). If on the other hand that is your bread and butter, you are sure to think Dracapella is bloody brilliant. (Geddit? Sorry.)
Listings and ticket information can be found here
