Making a welcome return to New Vic, is Eric and Co. after the enforced hiatus of the last couple of years. In his first outing back Eric finds himself, in darkest Transylvania, opting for that as a suitable choice for a romantic getaway for him and his wife, Bev. If that wasn’t romance enough, he has brought best mate Gordon along for good measure.
Finding their way to the destination for the week, they discover that they have been double-booked by unscrupulous property owner ‘Dr. Frank Einstein’ and have to house share with none other than members’ of that very famous family, The Addams’. The stage is suitably set for hilarity with a side-dose of slapstick.
In addition to the acting, the cast all contribute to the accompanying live music with the song choice cleverly interwoven into the evening. With keyboards, guitars and a saxaphone on the edge of the stag the cast pick up their instrument, or microphone to belt out a toe-tapping 60’s tune to go along with the theme of the action that has just taken place.
The music was brilliant and several huge vocal performances from the cast got the audience from toe-tapping and clapping very quickly to up and dancing.
The plot and script itself was very entertaining and the audience themselves were in on the action (from a sedentary point) as gargoyles. The gags were free-flowing and the slapstick was neatly interlocked into the next big musical number.
The standing ovation that they got at the end was thoroughly deserved for an evening of hilarity, great music and good old fashioned fun.
Eric’s Monster Mash is on until 3rd September and tickets are available here. Also, look out for ‘Eric’s Christmas Turkey’ which is showing later in the year (28th November until 10th December).
