★★½

“there’s a surprising charm to Countess Dracula’s world”

Night madness? Otherworldly rage? A desperate desire for eternal youth? All qualities embodied by Countess Dracula, yes, but also by anyone experiencing the menopause, according to this playful adaptation of the horror classic.

Countess Dracula explores the hardships of aging for both women and performers with a light-hearted spirit, examining mental health, partnership and power. As a vaudevillian duo and partnered couple, Joey and Jack find their Dracula-inspired show gets out of hand once Joey begins to experience menopausal symptoms which disrupt both their professional and personal dynamics.

Theatre company OftheJackel in collaboration with Joanna Holden put Bram Stoker’s tale through the lens of two farcical entertainers, creating amusing vignettes peppered with physical comedy, which give off the reassuring quality of a silent film. The set design enhances this comfortable, quirky mood, with the lush opulence evocative of a horror house offset by a slightly homemade toybox feel, giving the audience the sense of having been shrunk down into a finger puppet show. There’s a neat alignment in how the disruption of the menopause and the breakdown of the pair’s double act play off each other. The horror stunts are suitably camp and practical (direction by Deborah Newbold), carried out in keeping with both the vaudevillian universe created and the original text.

Joanna Holden brings a wide-eyed childlike glee to the titular role which enhances the uncanny and unsettling nature of her bloodthirsty Countess. Jack Kelly props up the plot, taking on multiple roles as a doctor and Joey’s chain-smoking mother, as well as offering plenty of endearingly hapless support as her partner, thespian and otherwise.

Despite her trial and tribulations though, Joey is chirpy in the opening scene and chirpy in the closing one, so the transformation of her character feels flimsy. We didn’t really get to sink our teeth into the themes of societal perception, instead simply gnashing at them. When Joey visits the doctor, we start to unpick one of the most terrifying confrontations women can experience – a sneering medical system ready to cart them off or chop them up instead of listening – but we move on so quickly that the return and resolution of his character doesn’t feel entirely earned.

While the vignette feeling brings interest to the physical comedy interludes, it feels like they’re included at the expense of real character exploration, which is a sacrifice. It leaves the experience more like a collection of thematic skits than a piece with true perspective, lightly pondering rather than provoking thoughts. But the balance between comedy and horror is well judged, and there’s a surprising charm to Countess Dracula’s world which had us enchanted.

ROMEO AND JULIET

Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★

“Flabbergast has clearly invested considerable time in the development and interpretation of this work”

As the audience enters the auditorium, Flabbergast Theatre’s seven strong ensemble is already on stage. Costumed (Henry Maynard) fundamentally in white underwear and black Doc Marten boots, their bodies show fresh red wounds. With white faces, mummy and zombie-like in appearance, the spectres fall to the ground, only to rise again, writhe and twirl in slow motion balletic forms before collapsing (movement direction Matej Matejka). Repeated over and over again the effect is mesmerizing and we know this will be no ordinary Shakespearean production.

A simple set is dominated by a vast scaffolding tower with Juliet’s bedroom, naturally, at the very top giving Romeo plenty of scope for climbing. Every inch of the Wilton’s excellent performance space – wide, deep and on multiple levels – is utilised in Henry Maynard’s impressive direction. There is beautiful and effective lighting throughout (Rachel Shipp). A pervading rich blue wash creates the dreamworld in which the action exists. But the darkness is transformed during Juliet’s lonely soliloquy into a magical luscious yellow.

Effective too is the sparing use of music (Nick Hart). English folk melody, world music, ecclesiastical chant and, in the case of the Capulet’s party, techno rave are all infused into the action to create a production that revels in its otherness.

The play begins in earnest with the choral prologue and from there things begin to falter. Each spectre speaks for themselves, the chorus is not in sync and the text is muddied. Sadly, this is to be a recurring problem throughout this performance.

Whilst fundamentally an ensemble piece, first amongst equals is Lennie Longworth (Juliet) who is a ray of sunshine. Bringing a youthful vitality to her role that at times we can believe that the young lover really is just a teenager, her ‘wherefore art thou’ plea is earnest and touching. Sadly not matched by her Romeo (Kyll Thomas-Cole) whose writhing, circling and throwing himself to the ground is given more weight than a clear and meaningful delivery of the text.

Vyte Garriga as the Nurse in a large, hooped skirt plays things perilously close to pantomime dame. The clowning skills of Simon Gleave (Mercutio) and Nadav Burstein (Tybalt) are excellent but at the cost of individual character. Daniel Chrisostomou gives a commanding performance as Friar Lawrence and whose comedic monosyllabic Peter brings out the laughs. Henry Maynard allows himself a sense of fun as Benvolio but seems less comfortable in the domineering role of Lord Capulet. All of the cast, however, perhaps with the exceptions of Lennie Longworth and, conversely, the clown behind the mask of Paris are generally unclear in their enunciation and expression.

Flabbergast has clearly invested considerable time in the development and interpretation of this work and Henry Maynard has a clear vision of how he wants dramatic theatre to be made. But when all the outside influences so dominate that some scenes are unintelligible, what is Shakespeare if we can’t hear the poetry?

This is a five-star production in its concept, movement and ensemble but ultimately let down by its two-star textual delivery.

COUNTESS DRACULA

Camden People’s Theatre

★★½

“there’s a surprising charm to Countess Dracula’s world”

COUNTESS DRACULA

Camden People’s Theatre

Reviewed on 30th October 2025

by Jessica Hayes

Photography by Henry Maynard

Previously reviewed at this venue:

COUNTESS DRACULA

COUNTESS DRACULA

COUNTESS DRACULA

ROMEO AND JULIET

Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★

“Flabbergast has clearly invested considerable time in the development and interpretation of this work”

ROMEO AND JULIET

Wilton’s Music Hall

Reviewed on 11th June 2025

by Phillip Money

Photography by Michael Lynch

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ROMEO AND JULIET

ROMEO AND JULIET

ROMEO AND JULIET

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