Review of ‘The Highgate Vampire’: “Viewers’ stakes are high with this anaemic horror comedy”

The Omnibus Theatre hosts this humorous act inspired by real-life events. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its bloodthirsty narrative made him sanguine.

It may be due to its vampire nature. Or it may have happened in spite of it. Whatever the case, the truth is that they sucked all the fun out of it. And regardless of their fang-cination with the subject, this play has more than a few teething problems.

This is inspired by a true story. Perhaps, the kind that wasn’t worth bringing to the stage — at least, not in this way. Meet The Highgate Vampire, a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the ridiculous yet not so hilarious real-life episode of mass hysteria that affected 1970s North London.

I can accept the premise has the potential for an entertaining play. And I would agree that the only way to do it is in jest. That’s not my problem. It’s its inability to get an honest laugh from me (or most of the audience) that really bites me.

The script is flawed with tired comedic devices, many of which I doubt have ever been good. If it’s not the excruciatingly bland dad jokes, it’s the pointless fourth-wall breaks and metatheatrical elements that keep filling the script with futile humorous attempts. Overall, you can appreciate their efforts, but you can also notice they are pushing too hard to be funny. And for the most part, it’s a failed mission.

Structurally, the play is heavily disorganised. The show is framed as a lecture with anecdotal scenes reenacted throughout. Nothing new or groundbreaking, but it’s proven to be effective in the past. Not this time, though. Rarely are the skits engaging, and their buildup towards the climax comes off flat if not sunken. Suffice to say that the conclusion feels vapid, and the twist is as unsurprising as it is forgettable.

Primarily, a two-hander, both actors display adequate chemistry onstage. From a technical angle, their renditions are well-executed — they have range, presence, and overflowing stamina and commitment. What they lack is naturalness and timing. The material doesn’t make it easy, but their inorganic delivery can’t prevent the curse from spreading either. And in the end, the whole thing looks more lifeless than the undead.

We can appreciate their intent to follow the footsteps of long-established parody classics. In that sense, The Highgate Vampire gives a decent try at mirroring Polanski’s 1967 film camp masterpiece. However, the play ends up mimicking its own lore in the most unfortunate way. And just like its main archetype, the reflection is just not there. There’s a lot to bury and even more to unearth before this piece doesn’t come across as an old bat. As for now, its dull gag and unreactive banter are only bound to make you cross.

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All pictures credit to Charlie Flint.

The Highgate Vampire plays at London’s Omnibus Theatre until 30 December. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara