Dracula: The Bloody Truth

I love a good scare, almost as much as I like a good laugh and this delightful evening of gothic slapstick satisfied both loves. Quite often this kind of modern theatre is full of good intentions but falls apart through any number of things, lack of money, lack of time and, dare I say, lack of talent. Not here, this well crafted show is packed with delight, great gags, both verbal and physical, a cast of talented actors, four men who take on all of the roles to brilliant comic effect, and finally a staging that shows just how effective simplicity can be when combined with inspired invention. I loved seeing how they manipulated a few large props to create a variety of settings. It is also beautifully lit and furnished with very clever costumes that are convincing but easily changed, vital in some of the scenes where nearly every character in the story is required to be on stage at the same time.

Le Navet Bete are on this outing a dark force to be reckoned with and on Tuesday the full house was dominated by a very young audience who lapped up the sinister with the silly, laughing and shrieking as the clever and inventive working of Bram Stoker’s gothic gem unravelled. With no programme it’s hard to mention the cast by name and each member took on so many roles that it is even more complex, but it would be unkind to not mention the wonderfully coquettish Mina, a triumph of cross-dressing that made me hanker for a return to proper pantomime dames in modern panto.

My only caveat if taking along children is this, the language is at times – well I will say modern! No doubt most kids have heard the swear words used but if you are sensitive to this then beware. No one left on this account but I suspect a few might. All this said, I loved it, I “bloody” loved it!

The Old Market

24 October

Andrew Kay

Rating: