Dan Patterson’s new play promises ‘fangtastic’ fun
From the Mock the Week writer comes Dracapella at Park Theatre
It’s that time of year when many theatre audiences want to see something fun and a little bit different and Dracapella at Park Theatre promises that and much more.
Co-written by Dan Patterson, creator of hit TV shows Whose Line Is It Anyway and Mock The Week and Jez Bond, who directs the show, Dracapella is the story of Dracula told with help of beatbox player extraordinaire UK Champion Beatboxer ABH Beatbox and a talented cast of performers skilled in both comedy and music.
The tale of a solicitor from London and a mysterious count from Transylvania, a ensemble of vocal talents create a show that is full-blooded fun.
When Harker sets off to Transylvania to sell a crumbling castle to a mysterious client, he doesn’t expect to wind up in a love triangle – or is that a square? –involving his wife, her best friend, and one very melodramatic vampire.
Things spiral quickly; capes are flung, necks are bitten (accidentally), and a human beatboxer accompanies it all. Featuring acapella covers of everything from Somebody to Love to Eye of the Tiger, and more terrible puns than strictly necessary, Dracapella is a fast, funny, fang-filled festive treat.
“I had the idea for the show a couple of years ago,” explained Dan. “I wanted it to be a little bit different, definitely not run of the mill, and had been working on the script when I went to Edinburgh to see some fringe shows. I saw some acapella performances where the most incredible music was created without any instruments, and knew somehow I wanted to incorporate this within the show.
“Originally I thought they could sing alongside the performers and then I realised I wanted them to be part of the show, I needed to find actors who were brilliant at comedy and also had fantastic singing voices.”
Dan trawled through this his extensive list of contacts and friends in the entertainment industry, and soon had his dream cast for the show. The cast includes Olivier Award winners Stephen Ashfield (The Book of Mormon), Lorna Want (Beautiful), alongside Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman, Wicked: The Movie) and Ako Mitchell (Sister Act, Mean Girls), who plays Dracula.
You don’t need to be a fan of Dracula to enjoy the show, says Dan.
As you would expect from someone behind so much TV and radio comedy, the jokes come in quick succession. “If you don’t like one, then there’s another one straight after that,” he promises.
Londoner Dan’s career happened by chance. He won a scholarship to study history in America and when he took up his place realised he could change courses, so decided to switch to studying film and TV. It was while he was at North West University that he began teaching and got into improv. In those days he thought he would be great in front of camera. He auditioned for the improv show Mee-ow, making it to the shortlist but eventually missing out on a part. Then the show’s director offered him the chance to direct. Studying for his PhD, he came back to England to revise and saw a job advertised with the BBC. He abandoned his studies and followed his heart to work in radio and TV.
“I realised that I am better behind the camera than in front of it,” said Dan.
His success has been meteoric. He moved from the BBC to Hat Trick Productions, then set up his own company, Angst. His hit shows include The Clive Anderson Show, Fast and Loose and Room 101.
But his love of the entertainment world is not solely confined to radio and tv – indeed it was his love of theatre that made him decide to turn his hand to playwriting. “I love theatre and live performance. Of course it’s very different; the actors have to reprise their show over and over again, whereas with TV and radio you can record and edit.”
Dan’s first play, The Duckhouse, co-written with Colin Swash, about the Parliamentary expenses scandal, had a six-month run at the Vaudeville Theatre and was nominated for an Olivier Award. With former diplomat Daniel Taub he co-wrote The Winner’s Curse, a play about negotiation set within the framework of international peace talks.
Dan is very proud of the careers he has helped launch. Many household name comedians, when they were virtual unknowns to mainstream audiences, received their big break thanks to an invitation to appear in one of his shows. TV viewers were shocked when Mock The Week was seemingly inexplicably cancelled by the BBC and more than 80,000 people signed a petition for the show to continue. But now, in good news for fans, Dan says the show is continuing and will be screened on TLC (which is part of the Discovery Channel) in early 2026.
Read our review of Dracapella here.
Dracapella is Park Theatre until 17 January. Age guidance 10+. parktheatre.co.uk
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
