Dinner with the vampire is fabulous fare

By Bradley Storer

After an hour of sampling both the fine cocktails and served a delicious array of meals at Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant whilst being serenaded by a band of vampiric jazz artists, I settled into my seat for the main show –  one could only hope it would match the hilarity of the floor show being provided by the dementedly jolly waiting staff!

Luckily I was not disappointed, and my expectations were even surpassed. After a quick introduction to our various performers for the evening, mixed with a stirring group rendition of Muse’s ‘Uprising’, Spiderlash: Vampire Vaudeville launched off with an opening worthy of a gothic rock opera that integrated multimedia to dizzyingly entertaining effect and set the bar high for the entire evening.

Spiderlash is truly vaudevillian in the traditional sense of the word. One minute we’re thrown a stand-up routine that harks back to a music-hall comedian, the next we’re treated to an arachnid-themed aerial routine before we were surprised with a scintillating drag performance (a cameo by effervescent drag performer Art Simone). Dancing skeletons, a garden of living statues, a magic act that leaves most of the performers in various states of impalement and dismemberment – all happen and we were left glowing with pleasure at the sheer breadth of variety. Throughout the evening the audience is deluged with campy good humour that is sure to delight anyone and everyone (though I advise leaving the children at home) with a few choice moments of seriousness that are all the more effective for their rarity. The production values and costume quality for the show are extremely high with technological fittings for nearly every section that makes you admire Dracula’s for their sheer dedication to providing excellent entertainment for their patrons.

All the performers are exceedingly talented, many doubling as musicians onstage and off, and provide a slick, confident experience, especially when interacting with the audience. Special mention to performer Philippa Harrison, whose strong vocals come to the fore in a simmering burlesque performance of Portishead’s ‘Glory Box’ (with a twist I won’t give away here) that held the audience spellbound for its entire duration.

VENUE: Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant, 100 Victoria St, Carlton VIC

DATES: Now playing

PRICE: VIP ‘A’ Reserve Tues–Thurs $105, Fri–Sat $115, ‘B’ Reserve Tues–Thurs $85, Fri–Sat $95

TIME: 6.30pm for ‘A’ Reserve, 7pm for ‘B’ Reserve

BOOKING: www.draculas.com.au ,  (03) 9347 3344