Last Chance Saloon presents DRACULA: SEX, SUCKING & STARDOM

I recently saw Philip Glass performing his soundtrack to the classic Dracula film - the one that is all the more scary because it looks like an documentary - and didn't like it. I love Philip Glass, and was really excited at watching him perform. The thing was, it just felt like Glass had decided that his style of minimalism was bigger than the film, and slapped some generic riffs over the poignant, the kitsch and the frightening scenes. I didn't shit my pants, which is what I would have expected. Next time, they ought to let Kode9 have a pop at it. I bet he knows how to pitch a Brown Night. 


However, Last Chance Saloon are probably not looking for bowel leakage in their version of Dracula. Apparently, their Count loves some Lloyd Weber. So I won't be weeping when he gets the Big Stake in the end. Since I have no idea about musicals, and there's some Lady Gaga jokes too, I sat back and let the company tell me about it.


What will make your show stand out at the Fringe in 2012?

Three hunky men, a very liberal take on Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, and lots of blood. 

How would you describe the piece - what sort of theatre is it, and what inspired the content?

We make what we like to call Guilty Pleasure Theatre, that is, theatre that's sole purpose is to put a smile on your face. Last Chance Saloon aren't here to educate you- we want the audience to forget about their woes and their bad day at work, and indulge in a ruddy good laugh.

Dracula is the perfect story for the kind of theatre we make, with an instantly recognisable hero we could easily parody. He's a classic villain but we see him as a bit lonely, misunderstood and rather camp! Poor Old Count, in our version he's a secret Michael Buble groupie and a wannabe West End star!  Vampires are having a real moment, thanks toTwilight et al, and we hope our show will appeal both to Robert Pattison fans- and to those seeking an antidote to vampires that sparkle.  

How long have you been working in theatre, and are there any highlights of your career so far?

We spent 3 years at Drama School together and graduated 7 years ago. The highlight of my career was definitely putting on Dracula: Sex, Sucking & Stardom at The Hen & Chickens. It was quite unlike anything we'd done previously and we had no idea how it would turn out, but the pride you get from producing your own work, playing to packed houses and receiving fantastic feedback from people who you trust cannot be matched. 

Why did you decide to come to the Fringe?

As an actor in the industry you quickly realise how much of a small cog in the machine you are and how little control you have over your lives. Forming Last Chance Saloon and writing shows  for ourselves was a way of wrestling back the creative control and allowing us to do what we set out to do at the start of our acting careers, namely, perform work we believe in with people we respect.

Paradise in the Vault 
4 & 5 Aug, 9.20pm; 6 – 27 Aug, 8.40pm (No shows 13, 20)