“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” had its original run off-Broadway from Sept. 2023 to Jan. 2024, and now the play is being adapted by the Irish Classical Theater Company (ICTC) in Buffalo.
The plot and time period of the play correspond with the famous novel, “Dracula,” yet viewers can expect a classic horror spoof similar to “Young Frankenstein” with antics akin to the sketch comedy troupe, “Monty Python.”
Instead of an evil Dracula, the titular villain wears leather pants and makes a flamboyant initial entrance accompanied with neon lights, imitation “fog” and music. While the jokes often reference the 21st century, fans of the original Bram Stoker novel will delight in this loving parody.
Despite a limited amount of set pieces, the audience is taken from a carriage to a bedroom and to a castle. Sound effects, props and even puppetry are all creatively utilized to transport the audience, and there are even moments when the fourth wall is subtly broken.
There are only five actors, and yet, a wide cast of characters. The cast includes local adjunct university professors and other professional actors new to the ICTC stage. Each actor does a wonderful job switching between the multiple roles they portray, and an array of entertaining accents can be heard from each one.
Additionally, a few actors portray different genders in their frequent role switches. Equally impressive costuming and quick changes allow the audience to easily distinguish each character. Comedic timing, energy and chemistry between the cast make the jokes land, and even throughout the 90-minute runtime, the play never stops being funny.
The play has its last performances from Sept. 26-29, “including” the “pay-what-you-will” and “open captioned” shows. The theater regularly offers admission for less than $20 through their student discount.
Upcoming productions at the ICTC include a preview of “The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul,” a new musical about American author F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Dorian,” an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s famous novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
