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The First Vampire
4 stars out of 5
Stage 18, The Luther Centre, 10014 81 Ave.
The eccentric artist beloved by everyone and for whom everything comes easily. The professional hiding in the shadow of greatness, overshadowed by their larger-than-life associate.
Echoes of Amadeus ring through The First Vampire, the story of poet Lord Byron and his doctor, John Polidori, credited with bringing the modern vampire to life in the short story “The Vampyre.” The genius of the famous poet and famed lover loom large over his friend the good doctor, a Mozart and Salieri situation but with bitchy authors rather than pretentious musicians.
The Last Vampire is a story of jealousy and frustration, bickering artists almost coming blows over who, in fact, should get credit. Byron and Polidori find themselves in the afterlife and Polidori must recount their own story, interwoven with the story of “The Vampyre,” to refresh Byron’s memory.
Madeleine Humeny as Lord Byron is an absolute crackup, a brilliant sendup of the self-absorbed lothario who would find his end in the Greek independence movement. She shouts and trembles when Byron’s most hated references are spoken aloud, a hilarious and over-the-top performance for an over-the-top figure in the English literary scene.
Rebecca Wass does a great job as the straight man Polidori, put off by Byron’s over-reactions and keeping the entire story moving despite frequent laudanum breaks.
History buffs, fans of gothic literature and Byron enthusiasts will get the most out of this show, a fun mixture of the real history mixed with the vampyre story. There’s brilliant references to Byron’s debaucherous behaviour, Percy Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft and that most famous night when a ghost story competition led to Frankenstein.
It’s smart, it’s funny and The First Vampire is a great addition to any Fringe lineup.