Dracula, But Make It Funny: What to Expect from Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

There are certain things you expect when someone says the word Dracula.

A dark castle.
A mysterious fog.
A suspicious amount of velvet.
Someone dramatically saying, “I vant to suck your blood.”

What you probably don't expect is a comedy that moves at approximately the speed of a vampire who just realized sunrise is in 20 minutes.

That's Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.

Coming to Theatre Huntsville September 18–27, this fast-paced comedy by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen takes Bram Stoker's legendary vampire tale and gleefully throws it into a theatrical blender.

The result is part gothic horror, part farce, part pop-culture fever dream, and entirely committed to making you laugh.

So... Is This Actually Dracula?

Yes.

Technically.

You still have Count Dracula. You still have Transylvania.

You still have vampire hunting, mysterious illnesses, doomed romances, gothic melodrama and enough supernatural nonsense to keep a Victorian therapist busy for decades.

But this is not your grandmother's Dracula.

The play takes the familiar story and turns the volume knob on the comedy all the way to “someone is going to need a bigger knob.”

A meek English real estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet a mysterious client. That client happens to be Count Dracula. Meanwhile, famed vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing and company are hot on the Count's trail.

And because this is a comedy, absolutely nothing goes according to plan.

Expect a Lot of Laughs and a Little Bit of Screaming

The official description calls it a “laugh-out-loud reimagining” packed with clever wordplay and comic mayhem. Theatre Huntsville's production is a 90-minute romp, which means there isn't much time for anyone to brood dramatically in a corner.

This is farce, (aka a comedy on 5 cups of espresso) which means things happen quickly.

Really quickly.

Characters misunderstand each other. Situations spiral. Physical comedy takes over. And just when you think you understand what's happening, someone has probably changed costumes and become an entirely different person.

Which brings us to...

One Cast. A Whole Lot of Characters.

One of the most fun things about Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is its theatricality.

The script is designed around a small ensemble playing more than a dozen characters.

That means quick changes, character switches, physical comedy and the kind of stage magic that makes you appreciate just how much can happen with a handful of actors and a little imagination.

It's the theatrical equivalent of watching someone change clothes while running a marathon.

And somehow, they make it look easy.

It's Got a Little Something for Everyone

Love classic literature? You'll recognize the story.

Love horror? There's a vampire.

Love comedy? Oh, good. You're in the right place.

Love theatre? You'll get to see performers doing the kind of rapid-fire character work that makes actors' brains hurt just thinking about it.

Love ridiculous pop-culture references and wordplay? Welcome home.

And if you simply want a fun night out that doesn't require three hours, a study guide and emotional preparation?

It's 90 minutes.

You're welcome.

The Bottom Line

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors takes a story we've all seen before and asks a very important theatrical question:

What if we made it ridiculous?

The answer is a fast, campy, wonderfully theatrical comedy filled with vampires, vampire hunters, mistaken identities, quick changes and plenty of opportunities to laugh.

So leave the garlic at home.

Bring your sense of humor.

And maybe don't trust anyone who invites you to a castle.

See Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at Theatre Huntsville September 18–27 at the Von Braun Center Playhouse. Get tickets here.