Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Ends Nov. 15 at the Arts Club

What you're in for

You know the setup: a count, a kidnapped young lady, a brave hero. Here the hero is a coward, the lady is the one who wants adventure, and the Count bakes cakes. Josh Epstein directs, and the show runs about 1 hour 35 minutes with no intermission, which means nobody has to fill twenty minutes of lobby small talk on a second date.

If you saw it in October, it is worth knowing the cape changed shoulders. Synthia Yusuf played Dracula from October 22 to November 4, and Alexandra Lainfiesta has the role from November 5 to closing. The Arts Club's content advisory lists fog, haze, strobe and flashing lights, strong language, sexual innuendo and simulated sex, so maybe not the pick for your first outing with the in-laws.

Who should go, and who should skip it

If it were us, this is the pick for a couple who wants to laugh more than they want to be moved. It suits an early date especially well, because a comedy hands you something easy to talk about on the walk out, and a gothic spoof is a safe bet whether one of you loves vampires or has never read a page of Bram Stoker. Skip it if strobe or haze is a problem for either of you, or if you were hoping for a scary Dracula. The only thing with teeth here is the script.

Picking your performance

The regular schedule is Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 1pm and 7pm, Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2pm, with Mondays dark. Tuesday, November 10, at 7pm is a Talkback Tuesday, where you can stay for a 15-minute chat with the artistic team after the show. VocalEye described performances are on November 10 at 7pm and November 13 at 7:30pm.

Tickets start at $29, and the Arts Club says facility fees, service charges and GST apply to single tickets. If you are 16 to 30, or have a valid post-secondary student ID, its 30-and-under rate runs $29 to $39 a ticket, limit two, subject to availability. You have to register with proof and get the confirmation email before you can buy, so sort that out well before curtain.

Making a night of it

The Sandbar at 1535 Johnston Street is a two-minute walk from the theatre and one of the Arts Club's restaurant partners: show your same-day ticket for 15% off food (alcohol and already discounted items are excluded). Catching a matinee instead? Graze the Granville Island Public Market before the show. After an evening performance, cross to Kitsilano for a glass at Grapes and Soda on West 6th Avenue and rank the Count's baking against your own.