THE GOLD COAST IS THAT PLAYGROUND OF SUN, SAND, SURF AND SALT AIR. BUT WHEN THE COVER OF DARKNESS FALLS ON THIS LITERAL SURFERS PARADISE, BEWARE THE VAMPIRES…
It’s hard to describe a Dracula’s show in one word. Brash. Shocking. Fun. Eye-opening.
Energetic. Crude. Random. Sometimes crass. Mostly funny. Delightfully trashy. Unrestrained. Did I say brash?
What Dracula’s definitely is though, is iconic. A Gold Coast landmark. And “Terrorbyte”, the latest show to hit the Dracula’s stage from Newman Entertainment International, is everything you’d expect of a night out at Dracula’s – with a little bit more ‘brash’ sprinkled on top for good measure!
The Dracula’s experience starts from the moment your car’s front tyres enter the Dracula’s driveway. Scantily-clad zombie-like staff direct you to your carpark. Vampires make crude, crass and blush-worthy comments as you find your way to the front door. But it’s as you step inside, that the ‘terror’ really begins. Guests immediately start their night in the pitch-black darkness, staring up out of their own graves as the show’s stars eerily peer down from high above.
I’ll be the first to admit that the special effects had me gripping the arm of my best
friend under the cover of darkness – and giggling at the same time. While it had been more than a decade since most members of our party had been to Dracula’s, we were all pleased to note that the iconic ghost train was still on track. And while we don’t want to giveaway too many Dracula’s secrets to those uninitiated, brace yourself for
that ride. And don’t forget to smile 😉
Terrorbyte offers some great characters. Inia Dewar as “Coco” was a crowd fave, resplendent in his retro purple pantsuit and mega-hoop earrings. Dracula’s veterans Richard Macionis as“Spine” (the show’s acting director) and Rudi Testa as “Vlad” made a formidable on-stage pair. Dracula’s newbie Dannielle Glanville was nothing short of stunning as “Luna”.
“Vampires are at the height of pop consciousness, riding a fine line of wickedness…both seductive and scary,” explains show creator and creative director, Marc Newman. “Our brand-new show taps into this allure, wrapped up in state-of- the art technology.
“It is a sinfully lavish format, presenting non-stop entertainment that is fluidly conceptualised around steampunk, retro-futurism, cyber sci-fi and brash burlesque.”
Throw in some quite random musical and comedy acts (from saucy aerial artistry to drug-lovin’ hippie puppets, to a tribute to the recently deceased legends of Bowie, Prince and George Michael), a three-course meal and wait staff who ensure the essence of the Dracula’s stage experience infiltrates every corner of the venue and you have quite the eye-opener of a night out with friends.