Reeve has just been made cast manager for the Dracula’s team. Not a bad trajectory for a performer who only joined Dracula’s in 2013 as an understudy for their Spiderlash production.
“My role this year is the same one as I’ve done for the last two years,” he explains. “I’m MC; I’m the glue that holds everyone together. I do stand-up. I sing, I do talk spots and make segues for the other performers.”
Terror Byte touts itself as an adrenaline spiked, vampire inspired, poltergeist-themed cabaret show, combining steam punk retro with stunning futuristic stage effects, along with lashings of live music, fetish burlesque, and an all-you-can-eat setlist of revamped rock classics. That’s quite some claim. Reeve assures us however, that the show exceeds the high expectations audiences have come to know Dracula’s for. The Newmans, the owner-managers of Dracula’s Cabaret Theatre restaurants (there’s one in Queensland too), travel the world each year looking at shows and checking out the latest technology.
“When you see the aerialist, there’s this massive audio-visual screen with special effects of blood dripping; the technology comes from Belgium,” Reeves explains. “People don’t realise how the Newmans keep up to date with performances, with the food, and with the attention to detail they give to Dracula’s. People think ‘theatre restaurant’ but they don’t understand how much goes into it. They come up to us afterwards and say, ‘My God, that was fantastic’.”
Ultimately, if you’ve not seen been to a Dracula’s show and think you might know what to expect – think again. Dracula’s shows are sophisticated and rude, with polished performances. And they’re funny.
“The dining experience goes hand in hand with the show,” Reeves continues. “We’ve got a number of themed cocktails, one is the Blood Bag which comes in a hemoglobin medical bag and it’s attached to an IV drip. We’ve got the Witches Brew, cocktails with liquid nitrogen on top so they smoke and bubble when they come out. We’ve got shots in syringes with popping candy on them. There are always different things to try.”
Has Reeve’s stage character changed over the last three years? “I never look on my character as ‘a character’,” he answers. “My character is an overplayed extension of some of the things I normally keep locked away. I’m quite straight in my real life so when I get up on stage I let loose a bit. I get to be cheeky, take risks, and try out new material.”
Reeves certainly gets to look the part for Terror Byte too. “I’ve got all sorts of looks,” he says. “I keep the same look for the pre-show, which is the branded look. And I have a number of costume changes. Most of the things are sequined; diamantes and sequins. I’ve even got a big diamante microphone cover. I’ve got a number of costume changes. I’m sitting here in my Melbourne gear, brown boots and a long black trench coat and tonight I’ll be wearing a blue sequined suit. I get to wear a period pompadour style wig and a big gold codpiece.”
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
