Dracapella at the Park Theatre – review

From the outset, it’s atmospheric: wolves howling, the wind whispering and owls hoo-hoo-hooting as we take our seats. We’re plunged into complete darkness, followed by the rumble of thunder. Red lighting (designed by Simisola Majekodunmi) surrounds the stage, signifying the bloody setting.

Created by Dan Patterson and Park Theatre artistic director Jez Bond, Dracapella is just the raucous fun needed on a damp and dreary winter’s evening. Their writing is spot on, with puns and innuendos aplenty that never tire.

In this hilariously quirky retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, expect the unexpected as you’ve most certainly never seen a version of the famed vampire classic told like this before. It’s a Christmas show, but not as you know it. The clue is in the title. Set in Victorian times, it’s an a cappella-fuelled telling of the bloodsucker (played by Ako Mitchell) and his woes, and the interesting characters he meets along the way, providing scene after memorable scene.

Jonathan Harker (Stephen Ashfield) and wife Mina (Lorna Want) are expecting a baby. With that in mind, Harker needs to earn more money now that he’s going to be a family man. Via a trip to Dover, complete with cancelled trains and rail replacement buses, he arrives in Transylvania, where he stays in a rundown castle and meets the Count. Meanwhile, Mina has gone to stay with her rich bestie Lucy (Keala Settle). In a case of mistaken identity, Dracula is convinced that Mina is his long-lost love and sets off on a quest to reunite with his supposed old flame.

Ian Oakley’s musical direction and vocal arrangements should be applauded. There’s also an interesting addition in the form of ABH Beatbox (Alexander Belgarion Hackett), a permanent fixture on stage, who adds a fascinating level of creativity to this madcap comedy production.

Sian Clare’s costumes do an excellent job in transporting us to the ’80s and the shell suits and big hair do’s that accompany the even bigger pop classics, such as “Eye of the Tiger”, “Somebody to Love”, “I Need a Hero” and “Bat Out of Hell”. A welcome bit of flamboyance away from the tailored black attire and cape of the Count.

The ensemble includes Monique Ashe-Palmer, Ciarán Dowd and Philip Pope and, guided by Bond’s superb direction, the cast delivers a masterclass of live comedic performances, consistently breaking the fourth wall and genuinely having fun with themselves and the audience. We’re engaged, literally laughing out loud and cringing in equal measure. The gags come at you thick and fast; in fact, at one point, we’re literally told to “keep up”. We try our best.

The highly talented cast, some of whom expertly play two roles, provide just under two hours of non-stop, frivolous frolics in a production that is a welcome addition to the festive season. Don’t miss this one. It’s worth sinking your teeth into! Geddit?