VAMPIRES IN BARCELONA - VAN FRINGE 2018

Are there Vampires in Barcelona? Join Brian Cochrane as he takes you on a journey that includes love in Paris, train rides through Europe and maybe even some vampires hanging out at a bar in Barcelona. The story builds slowly as the narrator recounts Brian’s younger years and his adventures which started innocently with Brian following a girl to Europe.

For proof Brian has some photographs that he projects on screen at random points throughout the show. Honestly, I didn’t think they added that much and would have loved to seen them used as the conclusion as ‘proof’ once the story had ended.

Arts Umbrella is a small intimate theatre quite well suited to storytelling with the black walls and lack of intricate set allowing us to conjure up our images of the array of characters Brian meets along the way.

One of my favourite parts were Brian’s asides, when he needed to add details the narrator didn’t share with us. A charming story that builds slowly and doesn’t disappoint.

Vampires in Barcelona is playing at Carousel Theatre 6 - 16 September as part of the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival.

~ reviewed by Melody Owen