Etcetera Theatre, Camden – until 31st October 2022
Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton
4****
Nosferatu. Where do I begin to try and describe this play. This play is the perfect thing to get you in the mood for Halloween, especially if you’re not a fan of really scary horrors. Spooky, hilarious, and very fun, Nosferatu is absolutely brilliant, and will probably leave you quite speechless.
The play opens with the head of Van Helsing (Jessica Olim) talking to the audience, explaining how he has been there for 100 years, while his body is stood next to him, gesturing along with what he is saying. We are then transported back in time to the year 1922, and are introduced to Phillip Hutter (Eleanor Homer) and his wife Margaret (Henry Charnock). With Van Helsing, they venture to Transylvania to sell a house to the mysterious Count Orlock (Blake Heaven). The castle is spooky, and some very strange things start happening while they are there, which makes the three very worried for their safety, especially when they figure out that Count Orlock is a vampire. The play ends with Van Helsing being decapitated by Count Orlock, and an undead Margaret killing Phillip. While there are a few unnerving moments, there is also a lot of comedy, such as a moment when Van Helsing, totally infatuated by Phillip Hutter, steals a pair of his underpants, and later puts them on, singing and dancing to the song ‘I Touch Myself’. Not to mention a scene towards the end of the play when Margaret Hutter channels her inner Jay Hawkins and puts a spell on Count Orlock (Nosferatu) to defeat him. This works, and Nosferatu disappears leaving behind only a puddle of what Margaret assumes to be white ectoplasm. There is a lot more sexual content in this play than I expected going in, but this content made the play even funnier because of the flawless delivery by all.
Jessica Olim’s portrayal of Van Helsing is hilarious, as he tries to hide his love for Phillip throughout the play. As is Henry Charnock’s portrayal of Margaret, as she is presented as a typical ‘damsel in distress’ archetype who is constantly brushed off by her husband whenever she tries to tell him something he doesn’t know. Eleanor Homer as Phillip is another great archetype of typical old-fashioned man which is incredibly funny paired with Henry Charnock’s Margaret. My favourite interactions however are between Phillip and Van Helsing, as Phillip is completely oblivious to Van Helsing’s feelings, something I think most people can relate to but exaggerated by the over-the-top acting by Jessica Olim. Not forgetting the comical portrayal of Count Orlock by Blake Heaven. Similar to Van Helsing, Count Orlock falls in love with Margaret which results in him stealing something from Phillip. Instead of stealing a pair of underpants though, he steals a photo of Margaret from Phillips wallet, which Phillip catches him with later on in his bedroom.
Nosferatu is an absolutely hysterical theatre experience that everybody should see before the 31st.