Brad Tassell and Steve Goodie describe themselves as a pair who have been ‘all-around nutty goofballs for more than 30 years’; and it shows. Vampire’s Ball, Ultimate Halloween Party! has jolly music, witty lyrics and a stunning array of backdrops that provide a tour of the haunted house, complete with animated apparitions, ghosts and ghouls that fly in and out giving it great pace.
Jolly music, witty lyrics and a stunning array of backdrops.
The version of the show as presented on theSpaceUK's Virtual Fringe programme is a taster for the now deferred full-length work they were hoping to put on as their Edinburgh debut this year. To paraphrase a saying from another festival, I suspect this duo takes the view that Halloween is for life, not just the end of October. It takes only this snippet of around fifteen minutes to make the maxim convincing. Setting the season aside, it’s certainy true of comedy and music, with which this show abounds, in a way that mixes the fear of Frankenstein with the life, lunacy and routines of The Rocky Horror Show.
The success of this show should come as no surprise. As author of the critically acclaimed, required reading for stand-up comedians, Hell Gig: Enlightening the Road Comic, Tassell has a career devoted to perfecting the art of comedy and performance. Along the way he created the Virtual Comedy Show, a weekly event on YouTube that probably explains why he seems so at home with this format. He also has six other books in his portfolio along with film and TV work. As for his Master's degree in Behavioral Sciences, he uses it in a range of activities that address issues associated with bullying. Yes, he has a serious side, but he makes that fun too.
The partnership with Goodie contributes perfectly to the madness of this show. He plays numerous instruments, as this production demonstrates, and has a comic craft honed through a string of stage credits as well as over a decade as host at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe along with TV appearances. His repertoire is evidenced by a significant presence on YouTube that includes parody numbers and cutting comedy observations along with his passion for writing and recording songs about Harry Potter.
Is it suitable for children? Of course it is; they wrote it for Tassell’s young daughter. Parents, however, will delight to hold the hands of their offspring lest they might at any moment imagine that this is real. If you don’t have children, cling to any irresponsible person or crazy friend, enjoy the party and put the show on your list for Edinburgh 2021.
