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
