Review: Dracapella sinks its fangs into the fun we need now
Dan Patterson’s new comic caper is ridiculous, musical, unmissable and stars The Greatest Showman's Keala Settle
One of my birthday treats was pizza, prosecco and a panto at the Park Theatre London … well, it wasn’t an actual panto but just an uproariously funny show with a very panto-like vibe worthy of five stars. Called Dracapella, it is co-written by Dan Patterson of Who’s Line Is It Anyway and Mock the Week fame and Jez Bond, who co-writes the Park Theatre’s now-annual piece of comedy gold Whodunnit Unrehearsed.
And Dracapella certainly owes some of its sublimely anarchic humour, hilarious visual gags and deliciously pun-heavy dialogue to the Whodunnit series. The title references not just the Transylvanian Count but also the fabulous a capella singing and astonishing sound-effects. The theatre bumph calls it a “madcapa comedy” and, in a knowing nod to the Rocky Horror franchise, “a monster mash-up.” It’s terrific fun and the perfect antidote to winter blues (or in my case being depressed at being another year older).
What really lifts it is the cast, who throw themselves into the madness with total commitment. Songstress supreme Keala Settle, of The Greatest Showman, is an absolute delight — funny, warm, and vocally glorious, giving the whole thing a West End-worthy lift. Ako Mitchell vamps it up as Dracula with gusto, while Stephen Ashfield and Lorna Want bring charm, timing and just the right level of silliness as the bewildered mortals caught in the chaos. Add in Ciarán Dowd, Monique Ashe-Palmer, and the brilliant ABH Beatbox, whose vocal effects become half the joke, and you get an ensemble that feels mischievous and perfectly in tune with the show’s gleeful anarchy.
And of course, Dan Patterson’s fingerprints are all over it. He’s been keeping audiences laughing for decades with a wit that’s clever, fresh and just off-centre enough to feel dangerous. Long may it continue — we need it now more than ever.
Read more about Dracapella here
Dracapella is at Park Theatre until 17 January. parktheatre.co.uk
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