Melbourne International Comedy Festival comedian Q&A: David Innes, Dracula

David Innes and his comic colleagues take a humorous look at the bloodthirsty tale of Dracula for a gothic gag fest.

Innes Lloyd: Dracula. Comedy Festival

What can people expect from your show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival?

A fun and fiesty adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula.

Mina Harker teams up with Abraham van Helsing to track down the strange and alluring vampiric Count Dracula before he spreads his curse throughout the world.

Swapping between multiple characters at breakneck speed are David Innes, Robert Lloyd and Jennifer Speirs.

The show intersperses the tense, gothic horror of this quintessential vampire hunting story with fun facts about the history of Dracula adaptations.

Tell us about you.

Innes Lloyd have been doing their season of one-off tribute shows including: A Die Hard Christmas, a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Die Hard, The War of the World’s Anniversary Broadcast, a mash-up of Jeff Wayne’s ’70s musical version and the Orson Welles radio play, and Innes vs Lloyd, our improvised comedy battle.

Who should see your show, and why?

Fans of gothic horror, pop culture and vampires should come see our show.

We take what is a great story and attempt to make it one of the greatest 50-minute adaptations a blood thirsty audience could hope for!

What’s your No.1 tip for people coming to see a show at the comedy festival?

Make a night of it — check online and book to see several shows in the one night. Support independent artists trying to make you giggle.

Which other comedians/shows are you keen to see at this year’s festival, and why?

The Junior Mighty Little Puppet Show returns with their brilliant improvised comedy show for kids.

For grown-ups, there’s Matthew Hadgraft in HAM — he is a wonderful storyteller and a terrific musician, guaranteed to entertain. Also Impro Melbourne’s At the Movies — the best improvisers in Melbourne doing amazing things late at night ... ooh-er!

What do you love about Melbourne?

Melbourne is simply delightful. Perhaps it’s the swarming mass of the highly caffeinated, the reserved suburban and the terminally hipster that makes this such a great city.

But also, it’s not Sydney.

Who or what is your comedic inspiration, and why?

I love improvised comedy, being silly with language and cutting satire, so I am inspired by the works of: PG Wodehouse, Stephen Fry, Matt Stone & Trey Parker, Whose Line is it Anyway? and John Oliver.

Anything else you want us to know about you or your show?

The Butterfly Club are perhaps the best and most amazing supporters of independent theatre in Melbourne — come for the comedy, stay for a beverage in the beautiful, eclectic bar.

INNES LLOYD, DRACULA, MARCH 26-31, THE BUTTERFLY CLUB DOWNSTAIRS. BOOK TICKETS