Everything is up for grabs in the fledgling colony when a Vampire turns up in NZ a few days before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. An epic satire about land rights, art... and golf.
From the reviews
“Others in this amazing and largely entertaining dramatic collage are part of a crazy farce involving golf clubs and sexual liberation, land-grabbing and domination as well as ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. And blood. When run in The Vampyre Dances should step lightly across all boundaries of political correctness so that the mix of dramatic genres will be able to work effectively as the parable that it’s creators intended.” Dominion
“The Vampyre Dances makes for an extremely entertaining and at time hilarious night at the theatre. There is squillions of stuff in this show, but it is pastiche, darling, postmodernism darling. I loved the allusions in the play, from the inaugural speech of nelson Mandela, feminism, Maori rights, colonial and class oppression to the songs of the Carpenters - yes, this play has it all. And laugh, did I what!” - Salient
Production Details and Development History
The Vampyre Dances was produded by Circa Theatre with assitance from the Theatre Artists Charitable Trust.
Director: Murray Lynch
Design: John Parker
Live music and score: Janet Roddick
Cast: Jacob Rajan, Claire Waldron, Peter Hambleton, Nicola Murphy, Sean Allen, Geraldine Brophy, Malcolm Murray.
The play was initially workshopped at the 1994 Oceania Playwrights Conference. Lisa Warrington directed and Simon Wilson was the Dramaturg.
The script was published by Victoria University Press and the play was a set text for a third-year paper ‘NZ literature’ in 1996.
An ailing Vampyre in search of fresh blood lands ashore and takes up residence in his three-thousand year old castle. His prior occupation means he can make a land-claim and govern the new colony any way he sees fit.
But by the time he cleanses his palette, will there be anyone left to govern?