Dracula Spectacular

This musical tells the tale of the immaculate young American school teacher, Nadia Naive and her party, who are grounded on a flight from Pennsylvania and land in Transylvania. There they meet the irrepressible Count himself who seeks to seduce Nadia, but she is protected by the handsome English doctor Nick Necrophiliac and his friend Father O'Stake, who are also assisted by Herr Hans and Frau Gretel. Count Dracula, his sidekick Genghis and his mother Countess Wraith have created a blood-like substance on which they survive and they plan to take over the world using an army of undead creatures. Good meets evil at the castle by the black lake, as the show speeds towards a thrilling climax and an intriguing twist. 

This melodramatic spooky musical comedy is very wordy. The dialogue is old fashioned and I suspect difficult to learn. The thinnish plot offers potential to ‘ham it up’ in a big way with over the top characterisations, corny jokes, Zombies and Brides of Dracula who thronged the stage for the opening number.  

Things took a while to warm up and first night nerves were not helped by an unfortunate sound cue problem early on.  The Transylvania Airways flight was well done with the pilot getting more drunk by the minute and the trip on the carriage to the village was clever. 

The initial lack of pace was lifted slightly once they had quaffed a glass of Lubbly Glublick (which was a tonic after the rather slow Karloffia anthem) and the principals worked hard to keep it up. 

There were some nice performances from  Karen Humphreys (Nadia Naïve),  Harrison Southgate as Professor Nick Necrophiliac,  Peter Rouse as Father O’Stake, Angela Tully as Countess Wraith Jo-Ann Ward (Genghis) and particularly from Michael Heslop, a young actor already well versed in stagecraft, as Count Dracula. Nadia’s pupils, Kelly (Billie Dawson), Julie (Leila Howe) and Elvis (Thomas Mather) managed their many brief appearances well and Joshua Sulman and Ruby Baird as Hans und Gretel made a great double-act.

The singing from the ensemble of Zombies and Brides was always good and they all carried out their choreography well. 

Congratulations to Director and Choreographer Mandy Morrish and MD Mark A J Checkley.  The cast worked hard and with obvious enjoyment and I am sure the first night nerves, technical blips and lack of pace dissipated as show week went on. Well done to The Bunbury Players and all involved in this production.

 

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