Observer

Somewhere between musical and rock opera, Bernard J Taylor's Nosferatu must be termed, if anything, push-button opera. Once the music machine was underway, the conductor and cast were under its control. Devilish, but what control!

The electronic orchestration was clever and rarely dull, with some undue emphasis on bass thud and weird dissonances between it and the evil-voiced, phantasmagorical vampire - Peter Straker, in fine form.

Twenty scenes and 34 songs meant it was impossible to keep track of titles but nevertheless there were many high spots and memorable moments, though one or two over-long ballads held up momentum. What captivated me was the effectiveness of the lyrics, ballads and songs with splendid melodies, added to which was the ethereal voice of Sheri Copeland, the delectable victim, who more than most was able to shape her phrases against the unrelenting rhythm. Together with Stephen Barlow's well-tempered and convincing numbers nicely conveyed, they were an admirable match.

The chorus' Don't Go was a highlight; beautiful set-pieces, catchy, well-crafted and sung. Enjoyable too were Anthony Styles' opening number Wild Talk, and Christopher Biggins' patter song.