Next month sees the UK premiere of Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen’s Dracula, A Comedy Of Terrors at The Menier Chocolate Factory. We spoke to actor Safeena Ladha who plays Lucy Westfeldt and others in this new play.

Dracula has been presented in many ways over the years. How is this play’s interpretation different?

This version of Dracula is a spin on a classic in many ways. Firstly, it’s a comedy, so not the style that the story of Dracula normally takes. And this comedy is presented to the audience in a variety of ways: physical comedy, multi rolling that involves gender swapping, high comedy, melodrama, pop culture references etc. It’s a fun, sexy show!

Also, it is fast paced, both in terms of the action on stage, and the fact that it is only 90 minutes long! But it being condensed doesn’t take anything away from the storyline; all the key moments are in there and it stays pretty true to the original.

Can you tell us a little about the character of Lucy Westfeldt? What appealed to you about the role?

There are many qualities in Lucy has that appealed to me. Firstly, I would say she is quite a modern woman for her time. In this interpretation, she went to university to study micro biology (a subject that women could not study at this time) and came top of her class. She is clearly intelligent and is not afraid to talk about it; in fact, Lucy is not afraid of much. Something I like about her is that she is drawn to danger; this is an interesting quality to explore in a person. Overall, I just think Lucy is cool! She is, as Dracula says, “a strong and courageous woman” who is also smart and adventurous and I am excited to play a woman like that.

You also play other characters in the show. Could you give us a few hints as to who these are?

One is Transylvanian, one is Cockney, and one isn’t human at all…

What are some of the challenges or joys of portraying several characters and having to change costumes and roles so quickly?

Challenges include making sure you are talking in the right accent! But also, when there is a lot going on in terms of costume, characters props etc, you have to find a way to get your head into the right emotional state at the right time too. But the joys include this challenge, the thrill of that, and the silly fun that comes from having to change in and out of costumes/characters/accents so quickly.

Are there any great comedians who have inspired your work?

I love the versions of silly British humour by duos such as Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders, and Simon Pegg & Nick Frost. Then, of course you have the iconic silliness of Monty Python and Mel Brooks - which have been very applicable to this show.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?

I mostly hope they will laugh and leave having had a good time!

Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors plays at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory until 3 May, with tickets available here.