Main Photo: Synthia Yusuf in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, 2026; set design by Alaia Hamer; costume design by Donnie Tejani; lighting design by Gerald King; photography by Moonrider Productions for the Arts Club Theatre Company
By Alex V, Active Vancouver
If you’re looking for a Halloween plan in Vancouver that is actually fun rather than just spooky, I have a suggestion. I caught the opening night of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Arts Club Theatre Company, and I walked out wanting to buy tickets for everyone I know. It’s smart, fast, ridiculous, and one of the funniest evenings I’ve had in a theatre in a long time.
The production runs at the Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island from October 22 to November 15, 2026. You can find all the details on our event page for Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.
What Is Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors About?
You don’t need to have read Bram Stoker’s novel or watched a Dracula film to enjoy this show, but knowing the basic outline helps. Everyone more or less knows the classic setup: a vampiric count, a young woman in danger, and a brave hero who rides in to save the day.
It’s a parody of the gothic classic, but a warm one.
This version keeps that skeleton and turns it upside down. According to the Arts Club, the hero is a coward, the young lady is desperate for adventure, and the count is a cake-baking dreamboat. It’s a parody of the gothic classic, but a warm one. The play pokes fun at the story without losing track of its characters.
That’s all you need going in, and I won’t spoil anything else. The fun is in watching how the familiar beats get twisted.
Five Actors, More Than a Dozen Characters
The cast is only five people: Kate Besworth, Steffanie Davis, Jeff Meadows, Vincent Tong, and Synthia Yusuf. Between them they play more than a dozen characters, and this is where the show really impressed me.
The transformations from one character to the next are brilliant. Sometimes an actor switches roles within seconds, with a different voice, posture, and energy each time. Stir Vancouver reported that costume designer Donnie Tejani built pieces that can be pulled on or off in a couple of seconds, and it shows. The speed of the changes adds a layer of depth to the comedy, and the whole cast is remarkably talented.
Put on something different and you behave differently, and other people treat you differently too.
Watching the costume changes made me think about how clothing works like a second skin. Put on something different and you behave differently, and other people treat you differently too. The show plays with that idea constantly.
Gender-Bending Casting and Fluid Love
Men play women and women play men. Jeff Meadows plays Mina, and Synthia Yusuf plays Dracula. Steffanie Davis told Stir she believes Yusuf is the first woman to play Dracula in any production of this script, and that hearing the count’s lines through a woman makes them sound even more outdated and ridiculous.
Love in this show is fluid, and pretty much everyone ends up kissing everyone. It’s played for laughs, but there’s something underneath it. The story becomes a playful exploration of who you are and what you want, no matter what your gender, orientation, or beliefs are.
The story becomes a playful exploration of who you are and what you want.
It also takes on the sexism baked into Stoker’s world. The old attitudes, like the belief that women couldn’t be doctors, are funny to us now precisely because we’ve moved on, and the show lets the audience laugh at them together.
Smart Writing and a Very Loud Audience
The writing is the best thing about this show. The humour is smart, the jokes land precisely, and there’s something for different comedy tastes, from wordplay to slapstick. At several moments the whole audience burst out laughing at the same instant, which is a great feeling in a theatre. The ending is surprising, funny, genius, and emotional, and I won’t say more than that.
The sound effects are excellent too, and they add a lot to the comic timing. Playwrights Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen have cited Mel Brooks as an inspiration, and BroadwayWorld mentions Monty Python as well. If you enjoy that style of comedy, you’ll feel right at home. The show premiered Off-Broadway in 2023 and has since played across North America and in London, where a review called it a “fantastic high-camp spoof.”
Is Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Suitable for Kids?
I would treat this as an adult show. There are suggestive scenes, though nothing explicit, and the humour leans grown-up. It’s much closer to a cheeky night out than a family outing. If you’re unsure, contact the Arts Club Box Office before bringing teens.
The Arts Club also notes that the production may include flashing lights and water-based haze and fog.
About the Venue
The Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island is the Arts Club’s mid-sized venue, sitting between the large Stanley Theatre and the smaller BMO Theatre Centre. It’s an intimate enough space that you feel close to the action, which suits a fast, physical comedy like this one.
Address: 1585 Johnston Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Show | Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors |
| Company | Arts Club Theatre Company |
| Dates | October 22 to November 15, 2026 |
| Venue | Lindsay Family Stage at Granville Island |
| Director | Josh Epstein |
| Best for | Adults, date nights, group outings, Halloween fans |
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so there are matinee and evening performances on October 31 if you want to make a night of it.
Final Verdict: 10 out of 10
I loved it. It’s the perfect show for the Halloween season, with great performances, brilliant writing, and nonstop laughs. I’d happily see it again, and I hope the Arts Club makes it an annual tradition. I’d watch it every year.
Ready to go? Check our event page for details, and book your tickets on the Arts Club website.