Theatre: Der Vampyr, Everyman, Cork

The opening performance of Der Vampyr was late at night and the auditorium was transformed into a broodingly mysterious forest. The audience was riveted by the action, which was melodramatic and fast-moving.

Compressed into just two hours, the plot never slowed, and the audience never lost interest as the evil vampire sought one victim after another, snatching brides on the eve of their wedding and condemning them to an appalling afterlife.

This was a superb production, with not a wasted moment, right to the final shock, which drew an audible shriek from some of the attendees at the Everyman.