Review: DRACULA UN-DEAD AIR, Old Red Lion Theatre
Photo credit: Wes Maddocks
The year is 1937 and it’s Halloween. A radio station is due to live broadcast the story of ‘Dracula’. The foley artist is feeling good and the host has warmed up the live studio audience but…the cast is missing. Afraid of dead air and the wrath of the big boss, and in spite of a significant lack of actors for a script which contains thirty two roles, they find themselves having to proceed with the broadcast anyway…
Adapted from Bram Stoker’s fang-toothed classic by co-writers Anton Tweedale and Sam Carlyle, this semi-immersive play made its debut at The Old Red Lion back in October 2024 as part of GrimFest. The run was a sell out, resulting in its return to this black box theatre. Having worked together as performers on two previous radio-based shows, the writers decided to partner up to create this spooky piece.
Design wise, the set, much like the costumes, is naturalistic and effective. A simple white clothed table is laid out with various instruments used for creating a varied soundscape. A smaller, more mysterious table sits at the edge, housing a vintage telephone and mic stands are set up right in front of the front row of the audience. This sets the scene very well and the lack of set guides the audience to focusing more on the actors.
From the second we enter the stage space, we are plunged straight into the action, with the foley artist, played by Tweedale, and the host making sure everything is as it should be. Carlyle, who plays the role of the host, is great at engaging the audience from the outset with her fast talking American charisma.
The semi-immersive elements are well considered, from cue cards telling the audience when to clap before ‘commercial breaks’ to squeaky rats being given out whilst we bark like dogs. Does this seem weird? Yes, but the source material isn’t the most ‘normal’ literary work, so in this sense, it captures the essence of the novel surprisingly well. Not to mention that this is a comedy and it’s hard not to laugh whilst you’re squeaking a dog toy rat towards the actors on stage. Additionally, if you don’t want to be spontaneously coaxed into coming onto the stage to join in on the action, we recommend that you don’t sit on the front row. You have been warned!
It must be stated that Tweedale and Carlyle are incredibly talented voice actors. Their ability to vocally perform, not just a vast array of decidedly different voice types, but with enunciation and clarity, really helps to maintain the consistency of the piece and aids the comedic elements.
The show is decently funny with the occasional mishaps from workers in roles they’re not used to generating a fair amount of laughter. However, given that the premise is so original and interesting and has farcical potential, we feel that there are a few missed opportunities. The comedic timing of the actors is good, but there are some long gaps between the comedic moments that there is a lack of consistent laughter from the audience. The show could afford to pick up the pace by adding more farcical elements to the script and using the setting to its full advantage. What if there were more prop mishaps? What if an actor walked in late? What if there was more tension between the foley artist and the host? What if the host and the foley artist had trouble coordinating which parts of the Dracula script to skip?
This play just needs a little more development in order to break out of the realm of the gothic fandom and reach the wide audience that it aspires to.
Entertaining enough to provoke curiosity and has so much potential.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill
Dracula Un-Dead Air plays at London’s Old Red Lion Theatre until 1 February, with further info here.
