Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors

Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors … a play staged by the Too Friendly Theatre Company at the Bijou Cinema, Post Office Street, Southport on Friday, 15th March, 2024

Southport beware, there’s a new Dracula walking your streets… with long flowing silver-grey locks and looking blood thirstily hot ahahahahaha!  ‘Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors’ is a Bram-new Comedy written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen which premiered off-Broadway on the 4th September 2023 at New World Stages and is a hoot! The story tells of an unassuming Estate Agent named Jonathan Harker, who, on the 5th October 1897, travels from London to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula in an attempt to sell him a property in London. The flirty Count seems unsure about this latest business venture until Harker inadvertently shows his client a picture of his fiancée, Lucy Westfeld. Enchanted by her beauty and her neck (he actually makes comment about her neck), the Count is all in and purchases the run-down mansion.  When, the ship carrying ‘Drac’ and his coffins to England sinks, everybody on board is feared dead, (they were, but not because they drowned!)  Harker fears that his client, their deal, and his commission are dead!  However, since technically being dead already, Drac, surprisingly shows up at Lucy and Jonathan’s engagement party no worse for wear!  Drac then begins his quest/his seduction of Lucy, Jonathan, Renfield, a maid, Lucy’s sister Mina and pretty much anything with a pulse or a pint of blood!  But his heart and his canines are truly focused on Lucy, the woman he yearns for, but, being a properly repressed and polite upper crust English girl, Lucy finds herself both intrigued and repulsed by Drac’s attention… what could go wrong!

Production Team… Cliff Gillies not only took on the lead role ‘Dracula’ but he also directed this production!  To stage something like this with a cast of just seven, many of whom were tasked with portraying multiple zany characters, dealing with numerous quick changes whilst some cast members were walking, mingling and interacting with the audience throughout … it really is essential that the Director knows the piece inside out and I would suggest that Cliff did just that!  (PS: at one point, I had my pen forcibly removed from my hand by Kitty, a ‘kleptomaniac’!  She also removed many more things from other unsuspecting audience members … bit scary at the time, simply because it wasn’t expected … but hilariously funny when you realised what was actually going on) …  well, done sir…. be very proud!  

The Cast … we had seven cast members all of whom brought their ‘A’ game and who had us in stiches from start to finish!  As most will know this is where I usually stick MY neck out (in this instance, keeping it as far away from the ‘neck loving’ Drac as possible) and select MY showstealer… but, I find myself thinking that once again the ‘whole’ and not an ‘individual’ was responsible for the success of this play! All the cast worked their socks off, working together as a team and bouncing off each other, sometimes literally!   So where to start…. let's start with ‘Drac’ himself... played ever so well by Cliff Gillies. Just loved the character created with his long flowing silver-grey locks … impressive!  Cliff really is a great character creator, confident, assured, with wonderful stage presence, he just knows how to work an audience to get a reaction …  great job Cliff, both on and off stage!  ‘Jonathan Harker’ our weak, unassuming Estate Agent was played ever so well by the experienced Neil Woods who took on three other roles … Lord Cavendish, Lord Windsor and Lord Havemercy, but its ‘Harker’ that I’d like to focus on.  I would suggest that this wasn’t the easiest of roles to get just right, but get it right he did!  Loved the transformation toward the end, from timid and unassuming estate agent to the ‘hip grinding’ mover …  those moves brought the house down, Neil be proud... great job!  Tracey Holmes-Smith took on two roles … ‘Dr Westfeldt’ (Director of a Mental Asylum that exploited its inmates and the father to Lucy and Mina) and ‘Renfield’ (Drac’s henchman, who helps Drac turn Mina into a vampire in return for a supply of fresh insects). These two characters are ‘polar opposites’, but Tracy was able to create two totally believable characters.  Confident, assured, the changing from one character to other, at times involved just putting on and taking off a wig, (sometimes centre stage) … didn’t always work properly but that hardly mattered … totally hilarious … be proud Tracy!  ‘Lucy Westfield’, the vivacious, independent daughter of Dr Westfeldt and the ‘conquest’ for Drac was played ever so well by Jen Johnson. Jen took this role and made it her own… don’t know why, but I just loved the line between Drac and Lucy; ‘Drac’… ‘Will I see you later’… ‘Lucy’… ‘It’s a small town’.  Be proud Jen, this was another character that needed to be just right… and just right it was… be proud!  Joanne Wasilew also took on two roles … ‘Mina’ the girl that would stop at nothing to get a man and the famed vampire hunter Dr. Jean Van Helsing, the German doctor who saves the day… but turns out to be a woman rather than the male doctor expected. These two roles could well have been written for Joanne… great characters created, her delivery and every remark had us in stitches… be proud Joanne!  To complete the ‘cast / team’ we had Helen Haygarth playing three cameo roles… ‘Gravedigger’, ‘Bosun’ and ‘Driver’… another who created three great individual characters and who should be ever so proud of what she helped achieve!  Finally, we had our ‘kleptomaniac’ ‘Kity’ played ever so well by Sue Fryer. Sue also played the ‘ship’s captain’ … the scene depicting the ship carrying Drag and Co sinking… had Sue and her ‘ginger beard’ at the ‘wheel’ of the ship, with I think, Joanne and Helen, alongside her armed with ‘water pistols’ for want of a better description, just ‘spraying’ her with water… Sue’s facial expressions and mannerisms, were priceless… great scene… be very proud guys … you all came together and nailed it…  great show!

Staging/Tech… the Bijou, had changed the stage area around since my last visit and had introduced some additional lights, which I thought added something to the performance area… but it still doesn’t offer that much space, so scenery is always minimalistic, but always well thought out and used well!  We had two small winged spaces created, situated either side of the stage used for quick changes and a small centre piece of stage furniture used to create more or less everything else needed.  It all worked really well… providing just enough for the actors to work their magic…. congrats to Mark Haygarth for his vision and for his ‘prop making’ skills, thought the extended floppy arms and legs used in a couple of scenes were used to perfection … absolutely hilarious, brought the house down!   We had some great sound effects and although the lighting was minimal, it worked well and enhanced the production… sound was in the hands of Sophie Parkes, whilst Phil Fryer did a wonderful job with the lights

Wardrobe…  loved the costumes…. enhanced the production ever so much! 

To sum up… all I can say it that it was great to see a ‘full house’ at the Bijou, and an audience, who from the applause that greeted the finale, just loving everything they saw!  Honestly, it was good wholesome fun from start to finish… something you could ‘sink your teeth into’… well done everyone, you worked ever so hard throughout the entire performance and got the results!

Thanks for inviting Susan and I, we thoroughly enjoyed the performance, not laughed as much for a long time!  Thanks to Phil Fryer for looking after us throughout, appreciated!... can’t wait to see you all again soon!

Stay safe, keep well…
‘Stronger Together’

Jim Briscoe
NODA NW
District 6 Rep

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