Deep Cove Stage Society
Dracula - The Panto
This year’s traditional pantomime by Jim Sperinck

Dates and Venue 15 December 2010 – 1 January 2011, 8pm with weekend matinees at 3pm (Except Jan 1 at 4pm) | Deep Cove Shaw Theatre, 4360 Gallant Avenue, North Vancouver

Reviewer Ed Farolan

This particular panto is quite unique. We normally see Christmas pantos about Cinderella and Aladdin, but this time, a panto about Dracula! One of the quips made by one of the characters in this panto was: What the heck is a vampire horror story doing in this Christmas children's panto?

But like all pantos, spoofing legendary and fairy tale characters, the show was pure entertainment . I think the actors as well as the audience who hissed and booed Dracula, the Vampire, had fun during the opening matinee last December 18th.

The story is about Dracula who seeks a new bride in Sonia, the daughter of Rosie Glow, Innkeeper of the Flying Mouse Inn. Boris the Werewolf, Dracula’s Butler, is sent to fetch Sonia but fails. Two cooks from the Inn, Steak and Kidney, are dispatched to help before Fairy Garlic, the Fairy Godmother, intercedes. Many hilarious surprises await the Vampire until Richard, the hero, steps in and imposes a cure upon the wayward Dracula.

The almost three-hour panto was lots of fun, with popular songs like "Black Magic" sung by the vampire women, changing the lyrics to phrases like "icy fingers down my spine", or the classic tune "I get a kick out of you" from the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes, delighted the young and old audience.

This was indeed a delightful family romp! Kudos to the cast and crew, paticularly to the creative efforts of director Maureen Robinson and playwright Jim Spernick!

© 2010 Ed Farolan