Ever since Bram Stoker, former civil servant, theatre critic, and business manager, published his fifth novel Dracula in 1897 Count Dracula has been the most famous vampire on the planet.

In Tod Browning's 1931 film Hungarian-born actor Bela Lugosi left as indelible a mark on the character as it in turn did on him. From that moment on no one ever thought of this fine actor as anything other than Count Dracula. Even today that film can leave the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

Christopher Lee went down the same road to very good effect in the Hammer House of Horror series of films.

Rick Abbott, who is responsible for Dracula the Musical?, on the other hand appears to have looked more to the "Carry On" take on "horror" movies for his inspiration. It is this version of the classic tale that the Stagelights will be presenting in the village hall at Emersons Green at 7.30pm on Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, and at 2pm on Sunday October 4. This, one of at least five different musical versions that are available, was the one that most appealed to director John Hicks and it took him several months before he could obtain permission from America for the Stagelights to present it at Emersons Green.

Since that time John has assembled a cast of more than 30, ranging in age from four to 71, to tackle the 18 musical numbers and fun dialogue. They are headed by Sam Balch in the title role with Neil Stanley playing his principal adversary Van Helsing. Four ladies find themselves caught up in the spoof horror of the story, Pauline Hillberg, Sam Veitch, Alison Slade, and Mandy Stone.

As soon as this production is done and dusted John Hicks and the company will be hard at work getting ready for their pantomime Mother Goose which for the second time will use an original script by John Hicks. But before that it is all hands to the pump selling tickets for Dracula the Musical? for which the box office number is 0117 960 6195.

Just looking a little further ahead two classic shows are due to open within a day of each other on October 7 and 8.

On Wednesday 7th Bristol Savoy Operatic Society opens at the Redgrave Theatre with the nearest Gilbert and Sullivan ever came to grand opera – The Yeoman Of The Guard. On the following evening the Court Players start their three-day run of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, at the Memorial Hall, Rangeworthy.

More information on these productions next week, but in the meantime a reminder of the box office numbers – 0117 965 1845 for Yeomen and 01454 321149 for Dream.