Kiss and no-tell: Molly Whitehouse’s Minnie and Dan Poppitt’s Alan in Love At First Bite, the play where biter and lover changes from show to show
WHO’S the sucker in vampire rom-com Love At First Bite? The biter or the bitten? The smiter or the smitten? Maybe both, maybe neither, especially when the answer changes with every performance.
York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions return to Theatre@41 with the premiere of writer-performers Dan Poppitt & Molly Whitehouse’s gothic spin on the dating game in the age of Tinder swipes and increasingly anti-social distancing.
The setting is metropolitan, London street names abounding, but it could be universal. To either side of the black-box stage are Minnie and Alan’s flats, fitted with domestic detail to match their characters.
Charlie Clarke, centre, holds court in one of her myriad cameo guises in Love At First Bite as Molly Whitehouse’s Minnie and Dan Poppitt’s listen in on their London Underground journey
In the middle is a space for tables – and for the turning of tables – in a pub or restaurant or indeed a street or Tube carriage, where chameleon Charlie Clarke spins her multitude of often comic, invariably perky roles and accents.
First up, she is overseeing the speed-dating game where Whitehouse’s Minnie and Poppitt’s equally awkward Alan first meet. Conversation is stilted, wilted on the wine, but somehow they still connect as nervy dates and gradually loosening laughter follow, their choice of black T-shirts saying as much as they do.
One thing leads to another, but “what if one of them were a creature of the night”, as the show promo teases? The identity of the vampire suddenly sinks in at the climax to Act One, but as mentioned above, the fang bearer switches from show to show – in a case of I’m A Lover, Not A Biter – and so your reviewer will bite his tongue.
Director Josh Woodgate, left, with his Love At First Bite cast members Molly Whitehouse, Dan Poppitt and Charlie Clarke
Poppitt and Whitehouse’s deadpan, even nonchalant, humour and cultural savvy put you in mind of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s zombie apocalypse movie Shaun Of The Dead with Love At First Bite’s combination of seemingly aimless lives, horror comedy and oddball romance. Their performances are arch, deliberately awkward, quirky, intriguing, full of surprises too.
All the while, Clarke is popping in and out, speed-changing costumes and characters as if in a sketch revue, from moustachioed French waiter to friends and family. Best of all is her living embodiment of cloud artificial intelligence assistant Alexa, a ring of light on her head switching on and off with every voice-activated change of request from Alan’s “Latest Play List”, her metronomic Alexa manner becoming ever more irritating as it always does.
Look out too for mischievous director Josh Woodgate’s cameo as a bored, pranking ice-cream salesman, an extra joy in this sharp-as-a-fang, transmutable love story, where you may well wish to watch both of today’s performances to see how Black Sheep’s game of Who Is Hunter, Who Is Prey? Plays out differently each time as “Love At First Bite toys with romance, rewrites folklore and invites us to consider what it means to love…and to hunger”.
Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ retro B-movie pastiche poster for Dan Poppitt and Molly Whitehouse’s Love At First Bite
Who’s the sucker in this vampire rom.com relationship? Writer-performers Dan Poppitt and Molly Whitehouse rehearsing Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ premiere of the mutable Love At First Bite
“HAVE you ever wondered what it would be like to finally meet someone you truly connect with – only to discover they might be a blood-sucking vampire?” ponders Josh Woodgate, director of Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ premiere of Love At First Bite.
“This play explores exactly that, blending the warmth and charm of a romantic comedy with the darkly playful twist of vampire lore. Audiences can expect laughter, surprises, awkward dates, emotional turns and a story that constantly keeps you guessing.”
Written and performed by Dan Poppitt and Molly Whitehouse, who will be joined by the multi-rolling Charlie Clarke, Love At First Bite will shape-shift every performance from Thursday to Saturday at Theatre@41, Monkgate, where the York company staged The Tempest and The Inner Selves last year.
“With a unique theatrical style, sharp comedy and an ever-changing mystery at its centre, the show invites you to fully immerse yourself in a love story with a very unexpected bite,” says Josh.
In a nutshell, Poppitt and Whitehouse’s seductive new work imagines a world where dating already can be hell, but what if one of them were a creature of the night? When Alan and Minnie meet at a speed-dating night, a spark flickers, dates follow, laughter lingers, yet “beneath the rhythms of a familiar rom-com, something waits in the dark,” say Dan and Molly, who play the lovers.
Director Josh Woodgate in rehearsal with Molly Whitehouse for Love At First Bite
“One of them is a vampire, but the secret shifts. Each night, the actors trade fangs and the audience is left to wonder who is hunter, who is prey.”
Blending sharp-fanged wit with a brush of gothic shadow, Love At First Bite toys with romance, rewrites folklore and invites audiences to consider what it means to love…and to hunger!
“What excites me most about the play is its unpredictability,” says Josh. “The audience is constantly invited to question and reassess what they think they know, and the anticipation of not knowing who the vampire is each night creates a really thrilling theatrical experience. That sense of uncertainty keeps the story alive and ever changing.”
He has found the process of adapting the story from page to stage “very natural”. “By using a minimal set alongside ambience and music, we’ve been able to transition with fluidity between scenes through sound and atmosphere, rather than relying on large set changes,” says Josh. “This allows the audience to imaginatively immerse themselves in each location and moment.
“Dan and Molly’s writing already contains all the warmth, humour and nuance of a classic romance, so my role has largely been about bringing that to life physically in focusing on movements, rhythm and comedic timing to ensure the humour lands naturally and the story speaks for itself.”
“As they also wrote the piece, they bring such a deep understanding of the world, the relationships and the tone of the show, which has been invaluable in the rehearsal room,” says Josh Woodgate of working with Dan Poppitt and Molly Whitehouse
Josh’s approach to utilising Theatre@41’s black-box design has involved “reimagining the layout by rotating the playing area by 90 degrees, creating a wider and more dynamic performance space for the actors”. “Most of the action takes place centrally, allowing the relationships and interactions to remain the focus, while either side of the stage houses two apartments spaces representing the separate homes of the human and the vampire,” he says.
The rehearsal process with Poppitt, Whitehouse and Clarke has been “incredibly creative and rewarding,” says Josh. “As two of them also wrote the piece, they bring such a deep understanding of the world, the relationships and the tone of the show, which has been invaluable in the rehearsal room.
“They’ve embraced every challenge and idea I’ve thrown at them with openness and creativity, pushing the comedy when needed, while also allowing the quieter, more emotional moments the space to breathe and resonate.”
Love At First Bite is Molly’s first piece of writing for the stage in a “very long time”. “It’s been amazing to focus in again on how to put across the ideas and emotions that had been bouncing around in my brain,” she says. “Passion for the source inspiration has helped massively, and getting to dig even deeper into what I thought I was an expert on has been great fun. I hope the audience can join us in celebrating that nerdiness.”
Love At First Bite grew from Dan’s initial idea for a vampire rom.com. “It was all we talked about all evening,” recalls Molly. “The ideas just kept flying and I knew we were on the same page. Working alongside someone who sees how the cogs turn and is on your wavelength, with the same dark humour and love of the game has been a pleasure.” Molly duly took the lead on Act One; Dan did the lion’s share on Act Two.
Love At First Bite director Josh Woodgate, left, with cast members Molly Whitehouse, Dan Poppitt and Charlie Clarke
Molly describes herself as a huge horror fan, but is even more fascinated by “vampire lore and its complexity”. “I remember my Mum showing me Interview With The Vampire when I was way too young – and I was hooked,” she says. “As I got older and learned more about vampire lore from other movies, books and folklore, it became an absolute fascination with how cultures used mythology to explain phenomena they couldn’t understand.
“I’ve always looked for ways to use that in my own work, taking an idea and using it as a metaphor to comment on something else; a way to get a bigger idea across in a way that makes my perspective make sense to an audience.
“Vampires are a perfect way to do that: they can live through massive chunks of history; they live in the shadows, keep their powers a secret, and the somewhat parasitic nature of drinking blood leans into exploring power and relationship dynamics in a twisty way that gives you massive scope for creativity.”
Summing up what audiences can expect from Love At First Bite, Molly says: “If you’re a fan of Notting Hill or The Lost Boys, there’s something in here for you. It’s a rom.com at heart, so audiences can expect something funny, fast paced and really relatable with a cheeky supernatural twist.
“It follows a new couple navigating all the usual excitement and awkwardness of a fresh relationship but with the minor complication that one of them is a vampire. What makes it really fun is the vampire switches between the two characters, depending on the performance. So you’re not just watching one version of the story – there are two completely different dynamics at play and it genuinely changes how you see the relationship unfold.
“It’s got a lot of laughs, a bit of bite, and that all-tto-recognisable feeling of ‘Do I really know this person?’.”
Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ retro-style move poster pastiche for Love At First Bite
Iain Harvey’s Jesus in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
WARNING: “This production contains intense scenes, frightening imagery, stylised violence and themes of death and religious conflict,” states the Joseph Rowntree Theatre website. Parental discretion and a minimum age of 12 are advised.
Such are the signs of 21st century times, whereas it is hard to imagine that 14th century York Mystery Plays performances would have been accompanied by such sensitivities. Or in 1951, when the plays were first revived, or indeed in 1971, when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s debut musical was premiered on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City.
Now comes Inspired By Theatre’s radical, boundary-pushing vision in old York city in rain-saturated 2026, one that has a rawness, frankness and starkness that emphasises why our more sensitive world labels emotional experiences in such cautionary terms.
Iain Harvey’s Jesus and Kelly Ann Bolland in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Picture: Mia Scudds
After such startling shows as Green Day’s American Idiot in 2024 and RENT in 2025, company founder Dan Crawfurd-Porter now directs the York company in Jesus Christ Superstar, the Seventies’ hippy musical in which he made his debut as Peter for Ripon Operatics in 2021.
As with American Idiot and RENT, his directorial style is visceral, the drama confrontational, the ensemble bond so strong among his cast as he delivers on his promise of a “gritty, cinematic and unapologetically powerful” show.
“What defines this production is its intensity,” said Crawfurd-Porter in his CharlesHutchPress interview. “Our staging is bold, the choreography [by assistant director Freya McIntosh] demands everything from the cast, and the individual performances are so powerful. There’s no coasting, no safe choices.”
Mickey Moran’s Herod. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Without recourse to technological trickery or projections, Crawfurd-Porter puts his trust in physicality, movement, bold lighting (by Daniel Grey) and contrasting costume (lighter colours for the good, dark for the villains of the piece, from Judas to Pilate, Herod to Caiaphas and Annas).
As trailed in his remarkably striking publicity photographs, make-up is all important too, just as it was for David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, bringing internal character to the surface and providing spectacle when Gi Vasey’s set of moveable, plain building blocks is designed to have more impact through shape-shifting, becoming temple-of-doom towers around Pilate, Caiaphas and Annas, seating for Jesus’s followers or a battle ground when “belief spirals into chaos, power corrupts, and humanity collides with the divine”.
The raised central dais is not ideal for McIntosh’s choreography when calling on the cast to move across the stage at pace in the opening number, enforcing some awkward leaps and landings, but from then on, the ensemble work has momentum, climaxing with Act Two’s title number.
Kelly Ann Bolland’s Judas. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Movement matters – and flows well under Crawfurd-Porter’s direction – but this sung-through rock opera stands or falls on the strength of its singing; after all, Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan sang Jesus’s part on the original 1970 concept album.
Iain Harvey hits the high notes spectacularly with absolute assurance while bringing grace and fervour to Lloyd Webber and Rice’s somewhat morose depiction of Jesus. You sense his burden, brought here to save the world and to sacrifice himself for God on the cross. In the one passage where Jesus speaks, perhaps too exhausted to sing, unlike in opera’s finales, he cries out to his mother: the moment that reinforces what a devastating performance Harvey has given.
In Crawfurd-Porter’s most inspired casting, the treacherous role of Judas goes to Kelly Ann Bolland, whose prowess as a classic rock musician “with a strong affinity for music driven by raw energy and power” drives her outstanding performance, singing Heaven On Their Minds. Judas’s Death and the climactic Superstar with harrowing, turbulent vigour, even venom. At the same, the hand rubbing, the awful realisation of the consequence of Judas’s actions, recall Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.
Rianna Pearce’s Mary and Kailum Farmery’s Simon in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Picture: Mia Scudds
Josh Woodgate’s Pilate. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Gi Vasey’s Annas and Joseph Hayes’ Caiaphas. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
Rianna Pearce’s Mary (Magdalene) impresses too, from leading Everything’s All Right to bringing heartfelt candour to chart hit I Don’t Know How To Love Him and revitalising Could We Start Again Please? with Richard Bayton’s substantial, volatile Peter.
Joseph Hayes’s basso profondo is suitably deep and dark for Caiaphas, joined in condemnation of Jesus by Gi Vasey’s Annas and Josh Woodgate’s exasperated, hand-washing Pilate, while Mickey Moran pops up from lead guitar duty in the orchestra pit for a scene-stealing, ultra-thespian, heavy-metal frontman cameo in King Herod’s Song. Kailum Farmery’s Simon leaps to the fore in Simon Zealotes, his tattoos and shaved cranium providing a bridge to modern times.
Lloyd Webber and Rice cut their musical teeth on Jesus Christ Superstar and musically it is very much a rock opera of its Seventies’ time, more direct, more thrusting, more emotionally in your face than their later works.
Dan Crawfurd-Porter’s exultant cast in Jesus Christ Superstar. Picture: Mia Scudds
Mathew Peter Clare’s musical direction captures that thrill of an early work, one that predates the classical embellishments of Lloyd Webber’s later arrangements and whose songs would have fitted early editions of The Old Grey Whistle Test. You will love the moment too where the instruments fall silent for an a cappella finale too.
What’s the buzz, tell me what’s a’happening? Inspired By Theatre have once more delivered exhilarating musical theatre with purpose, passion and panache.
Jesus Christ Superstar, Inspired By Theatre, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
A montage of Dan Crawfurd-Porter images for Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar
Iain Harvey’s Jesus in Inspired By Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar. All pictures: Dan Crawfurd-Porter
YORK company Inspired By Theatre has released the first official promotional imagery for next month’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.
The newly unveiled images form part of a cinematic campaign that reflects director Dan Crawfurd-Porter’s bold, physical and visual approach.
“Shot in a controlled studio environment, the imagery offers a stark and contemporary lens on the characters at the heart of the story,” he says.
Gi Vasey’s Annas and Joseph Hayes’ Caiaphas
Jesus Christ Superstar has taken the most preparation and development of any Inspired By Theatre show. “The stage work has been shaped over several years of planning and refinement,” says Dan.
“From the outset, I was determined that the show should be defined by a strong and distinctive visual language, closely aligned with abstract, physical and emotionally charged storytelling.”
The shoot was led by director and photographer Dan, with creative support from assistant director Freya McIntosh and production designer Gi Vasey. Hair and make-up was delivered by Chloe Pearson, Jasmine Barnard, Gi Vasey, and Freya McIntosh.
Mickey Moran’s Herod
“Central to the success of the imagery is the cast themselves, whose sustained character work and commitment to the production’s vision are evident throughout the final images,” says Dan.
“The photoshoot was conceived and executed with the same care as a full-scale production, treating the imagery as an artwork in its own right while remaining fully aligned with the vision of our stage production.
“Rather than functioning solely as promotional material, the images are designed to establish the cinematic world of our show in advance of its arrival on stage.”
Josh Woodgate’s Pilate
Dan’s radical new vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical is set in a shifting space, part temple, part battleground
The story unfolds through visceral movement, haunting imagery and a pulsating live score, capturing Jesus’s final days as loyalties fracture, followers demand revolution and rulers fear rebellion.
“Gritty, cinematic and unapologetically powerful, our staging pushes the boundaries of what local theatre can achieve,” says Dan.
Richard Bayton’s Peter
“What defines this production is its intensity. The staging is bold, the choreography demands everything from the cast, and the individual performances are so powerful. There’s no coasting, no safe choices.
“We’re embracing a visual and physical language that gives the story a new edge. It’s a Jesus Christ Superstar that commits fully to the story’s momentum and spectacle.”
Joining producer-director Dan in the production team are assistant director and choreographer Freya McIntosh; musical director Matthew Peter Clare; assistant producer Annie Roux; stage manager Steven Hibbs; production designer Gi Vasey; costume designer Molly Whitehouse; lighting designer Daniel Grey and sound designer Ollie Nash.
Rianna Pearce’s Mary Magdalene
In the cast will be Iain Harvey as Jesus; Kelly Ann Bolland, Judas; Rianna Pearce, Mary Magdalene; Kailum Farmery, Simon Zealotes; Richard Bayton, Peter; Josh Woodgate, Pilate; Mickey Moran, King Herod, Joseph Hayes, Caiaphas, and Gi Vasey, Annas.
The ensemble will comprise Jack Fry; Charlie Clarke; Molly Whitehouse; Tiggy-Jade; Maddie Jones; Pete Stanford; Megan Overton; Anna Ashfield; Emily Pratt and Jasmine Barnard.
YORK theatre company founded in 2022, originally as Bright Light Musical Productions. “What began as a passion project has grown into a vibrant creative community with a distinctive artistic voice and a commitment to ambitious, impactful work,” says director Dan Crawfurd-Porter.
Previous productions, including Green Day’s American Idiot (2024) and RENT (2025), at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, have been praised for their energy, integrity, and polish. Jesus Christ Superstar marks the next evolution in the company’s bold storytelling, opening a landmark 2026 season that also will feature Spring Awakening at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, from May 20 to 23 and Madness musical Our House at the JoRo in October .
“Inspired By Theatre was built on the belief that theatre can influence, uplift, and spark meaningful change,” says Dan. “The name itself reflects the countless productions, performers, creatives and audiences that continue to inspire and shape the company’s journey.”
Mark Simmonds’s Prospero, staff in hand, in The Tempest at Theatre@41, Monkgate
AFTER focusing on musical theatre, adventurous York company Black Sheep Theatre Productions stretched its wings by staging Shakespeare’s everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink last play with original music by founder, director and musical director Matthew Peter Clare and Gregory Parker.
Several of Ariel’s speeches were turned into song for Gemma-Louise Keane, on her return to the stage after a long break where you may have seen her fronting the band Kisskisskill or on York’s ghost tour circuit as Deathly Dark Tours’ Daria Deathly. Inspired casting by Clare, finding a performer with bags of stage presence and personality, coupled with an individual look and voice, typified by her rendition of Full Fathom Five.
Mark Simmonds, who has made his mark as much in Jorvik Gilbert and Sullivan Society, York Opera and York Light Opera Company as in York Settlement Community Players, has a natural musicality and resonant timbre to his voice.
Charlie Clarke’s Trincula in The Tempest. Josh Woodgate’s Caliban adopts a prone position beneath his bags of wood
Allied with being tall, this gave him righteous if sinister command as the dispossessed Milanese duke, Prospero, a command exacerbated by conducting his magical, storm-stirring powers from the John Cooper Studio’s mezzanine level, as well as in his treatment of his island slaves, Ariel and Caliban (more of whom, later).
Clare built his production on a brace of interlinking triangles, bringing magic, music and mayhem to the play’s three plot lines of comedy, tragedy and romance, fuelled by familiar Shakespeare tropes of mistaken identity, a family at war, murderous plotting and plot-thickening intrigues. The magic emanated from Prospero, and so too did the mayhem that ensued in the torrid tale of a shipwreck and its high-society survivors, spilling out onto Prospero’s island.
The music emanated from percussionist Clare’s band of eight: Helen Warry and Elle Weaver’s violins; Clare Pearson’s viola and Lindsay Illingworth’s violoncello; Fergus Vickers’ guitar, Rosie Morris’s contrabass and, best of all, Sarah Paterson’s harp.
Chloe Pearson’s Fernanda, left, and Freya McIntosh’s Miranda in The Tempest
The underscoring was particularly effective, often beautiful too, and most ambitious of all was the transformation of the play within the play into a song, Blessings, with vocal interplay and solos for Maddie Jones’s Iris, Molly Whitehouse’s Ceres and Rocks Nairn-Smith’s Juno.
The Tempest is a restless, breathless play of constant struggle and ultimate resolution, a maelstrom of tortured emotions, terror, a need to find a home, love, a safe place in the world, a reason to shake off boredom or cast off grief. Or as Clare put it: a play of “family and love, subjugation and bloody plots, reconciliation and forgiveness, euphoria and despair”.
Hence its helter-skelter tumble of tragedy and comedy that Clare addressed successful by applying “more Brechtian style” for the more absurd characters, such as Charlie Clarke’s Trincula, Dan Poppitt’s Alonso, and especially the outstanding John Woodgate’s cruelly abused Caliban, while favouring naturalism for the plot-driven likes of Prospero, Meg Conway’s viperous Antonia and the Sapphic love of Freya McIntosh’s Miranda and Chloe Pearson’s Fernanda.
Josh Woodgate’s Caliban and Gemma-Louise Keane’s Ariel in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ The Tempest
Mikhail Lim’s Gonzalo, Rosie Stirling’s Sebastyne and Jack Fry’s Master of Ships all contributed to the pleasures of this Tempest kicking up a storm anew, aided by Molly Whitehouse’s playful costumes, Charlie Clarke & Josh Woodgate’s striking, circus and cabaret-inspired make-up and Will Nicholson’s sound and lighting design, fast making himself the go-to-guy of York technicians in 2025.
After Woodgate’s turn as Caliban, eye-catching from the moment he emerged bleary eyed from beneath the shelter of the raised stage, CharlesHutchPress looks forward to his future performances, led off by his ensemble role in Inspired By Theatre’s Rent from Thursday to Saturday this week at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.
Black Sheep Theatre Productions “stretching out its wings” in The Tempest in a radiant scene for Gemma-Louise Keane’s Ariel
Coming next from Black Sheep Theatre will be a return to Theatre@41 for an original play, The Inner Selves, from May 13 to 17. This four-hander charts the decline of two people’s mental health, and their marriage, as shown through Henry and Nora and the cacophonic assault of their inner thoughts. The play revolves are one bad day of mediocrity and boredom being the final straw for the pair as emotions come to a boil. Will this marriage survive? Even until morning?
Not for young children, its content warning takes in: alcohol, smoking, swearing, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, discussion of self-harm, marriage, divorce, loss of child, suicidal thoughts, mental health.
Tickets for the 7.30pm evening performances and 2.30pm Saturday matinee are on sale at tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Meg Conway, returning to the York stage after a nine-year hiatus, as Antonia and assistant director Mikhail Lim as Gonzalo in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ The Tempest
