Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  5any gender (adult)

Nobody’s ever seen a Dracula this funny. Five or more actors play dozens of zany characters in a madcap take on the classic tale that’s guaranteed to induce blood-curdling screams – of laughter!

Image: 2023 Off-Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce, Adaptation (Literature), Parody/Spoof
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

Details

Summary
Ever wondered what would happen if you took Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale and put it into a blender with Mel Brooks, Monty Python, and The 39 Steps? That’s just what happens in this lightning-fast, laugh-out-loud, 90-minute, gender-bending romp. When her sister Mina falls ill with a mysterious disease of the blood, Lucy Westfeldt and her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, enlist the help of famed female vampire hunter Doctor Jean Van Helsing. Their hunt for the dangerous and sexy Count Dracula abounds with clever wordplay and quick-change antics. Five actors play over a dozen roles in this bloodcurdlingly hilarious send-up of the literary classic. Casting is flexible and expandable up to 24 actors.
History

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors premiered off-Broadway at New World Stages on 4 September 2023. Directed by Gordon Greenberg, the production featured Jordan Boatman, Arnie Burton, James Daly, Ellen Harvey and Andrew Keenan-Bolger. The play was first commissioned by the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and was further developed at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Capital Rep in Albany, NY and at the Segal Centre in Montreal, all under the direction of Greenberg. It premiered as radio play in May 2020 with a cast including Christopher Sieber, Laura Benanti, Annaleigh Ashford, Ashley Park, Alan Tudyk, James Monroe Iglehart and John Stamos.

ACTOR 1: Younger male to play HARKER/SUITORS/BOSUN/GRAVEDIGGER
ACTOR 2: Older female to play males, DR. WESTFELDT/RENFIELD/CAPTAIN
ACTOR 3: Younger female to play LUCY/KITTY/DRIVER
ACTOR 4: Older male to play females, MINA/VAN HELSING
ACTOR 5: Sexy male to play DRACULA

Please note that the play sends up gender “norms,” and all characters can be played by actors of any gender, age or type. The initial conception was as indicated above, but the cast can be expanded to as many as 24 actors.

Casting is flexible and expandable up to 24 actors.

  • Time Period 19th Century
  • Setting From the English countryside to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania. 1890s.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission, Physical Comedy, Special Effects
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Media

“Sexy and campy with non-stop hilarity... you don’t want to miss this!” – Forbes

“A brilliant new send-up of Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel. This hilariously reimagined take, created in the spirit of The 39 Steps, is a lightning-fast, laugh-out-loud comedy.” – Broadway World

“Over-the-top and bloody hilarious... a must-see!” – DC Theater Arts

“If you’ve been craving a break from the frights of real life, this campy, vampy romp is a scream!” – TimeOut NY

“A raucous, 90-minute party in full swing.” – New York Sun

“Sexy and campy with non-stop hilarity... I didn’t stop laughing for 90 straight minutes... you don’t want to miss this!” – Forbes

“If you have a fondness for the arch humor of The 39 Steps or the tongue-in-cheek mayhem of Charles Ludlam, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors is your cup of giggles.” – Palm Beach Post

“Want a laugh? Dracula has jokes and wordplay by the truckload!” – Daily Beast

Videos

  • Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – Segal Centre Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – Segal Centre Trailer

  • Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – Off-Broadway Cast on PIX11 youtube thumbnail

    Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – Off-Broadway Cast on PIX11

Photos

  • Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

    Image: 2023 Off-Broadway Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Gordon Greenberg

Gordon Greenberg has directed on Broadway, off-Broadway and in London’s West End, written for television and stage, and developed, directed and produced new works for arts institutions across America.

Current directing/writing projects include The Heart of Rock and Roll, which ...

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Steve Rosen

Steve Rosen (he/him) has previously collaborated with Gordon Greenberg on the musical The Secret of My Success (co-book, Joseph Jefferson nomination), the plays Crime and Punishment – a Comedy and Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show (both at The Old Globe, San Die ...
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