Le Navet Bete, John Nicolson
Le Navet Bete, Bolton Octagon, Stephen Joseph Theatre production
Bolton Octagon
June 11-29, 2024; 2hrs 15 mins
(also Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, July 3-27, 2024)
Directors and producers sometimes forget that the real role of theatre is not to educate or
indoctrinate, but to entertain. Paul Robinson, the director of Dracula - The Bloody Truth gets this. In fact he and his writing team of le Navete Bete and John Nicholson go right to its heart and stake it in this funny, witty, fast paced physical production.
They ask a lot of the four actors, who must provide about 40 characters - which means a great
number of swift changes. Sometimes they will play three characters in the same scene - so hats off, as well as costumes - to the normally-unsung hero of costume supervision, Julia Perry Mook.
The actors certainly know how to engage with the audience: in fact the audience is a key part of the action. Members are called on to support the team: boos for the baddies; hurrahs for the goodies, and
a major role in helping to keep the stage scenery in place as it all falls down. Think Noises Off, but with blood. Farce it might be, with fake blood sprayed on to some of the lucky first row and, briefly, an audience member standing in for the main character (take a bow, Glen), it's all done with skill and - not a word usually associated with this form – finesse.
Chris Hannon plays with insouciance the mad, obsessed vampite hunter, Professor Van Helsing. All flowery waistcoat and Germanic accent, he makes sure the production remains on track to its eventual
bloody climax. Annie Kirkman, Alyce Liburd and Killian Macardle play round him with so many parts that you only realise how good they were towards the end. Even the fake Scottish accents in the middle of the play are realistic.
So for some bloody good fun, get on your hearse and fly to the Octagon.
More info and tickets here
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