 Interactive map of Dracula's Cabaret | |
| Location | 1 Hooker Blvd Broadbeach QLD 4218 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 28°02′03″S153°25′44″E / 28.03405160608331°S 153.42893020957482°E |
| Type | Cabaret |
| Seating type | Seated |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1985 |
Dracula's Cabaret (or simply Dracula's) is an indoor theatre, music venue and event space located in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
In 1980, Tikki and John Newman were inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show to launch a spooky theatre in Drewery Lane, Melbourne. They had previously been responsible for opening Australia's first theatre restaurant - Tikki and John's - in 1964 on Exhibition Street, Melbourne which, by 1982 was known as Crazy House. Dracula's moved to the larger Victoria Street, Melbourne location in 1990 and stayed in business until 2017. [1] [2]
Dracula's Cabaret opened its doors on the Gold Coast in 1985 after an old shopping centre sandwiched between Conrad Jupiters Casino and Pacific Fair was converted into a performance theatre. [3] In 2023, the venue was temporarily closed as the building caught on fire and 225 patrons were evacuated. [4] Dracula's celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with a new show titled 'Lucid'. [5]
Crazy House
Dracula's was founded by Tikki and John Newman, the duo responsible for Australia's first theatre restaurant on Exhibition Street. Inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the duo launched Dracula's in 1980 in Drewery Lane. The sexy Halloween pitch proved so successful, they moved it to the larger Victoria Street location in 1990 where it's been rattling audiences ever since.
He appeared at Melbourne's popular theatre restaurants Tikki and John's and Dracula's alongside the likes of Vic Gordon, Fields and Val Jellay. For St Martin's Theatre his credits include Salad Days and the Erik Award-nominated lead role in Tom Stoppard's Enter a Free Man. For MTC he played in Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing and As You Like It.
From Music Hall to Vaudeville, the stage was set for lively entertainment that featured Vaudeville skits as well as guest magician Jules Cafari. Award winning actors Terry Norris, Annie Phelan, Ernie Bourne and Brian Hannan featured in the talented cast. 1980 - It was a wild experiment but it paid off. Who would have thought that a horror themed comedy venue would be such a scream? Dracula's first opened in Drewery Lane, hidden in an old warehouse in Melbourne's back streets. Based on the successful Rocky Horror Picture Show, zany characters and a haunted castle interior thrilled crowds. Outgrowing the original venue, Dracula's was moved to its Victoria St location in 1990 and became a legendary Melbourne venue.
Brett Swain has been involved in the entertainment industry for over 35 years. He started out in Dracula's Comedy Cabaret in the mid 80's performing sketches, singing, dancing and playing guitar and drums.
Before the formation of Tripod in 1996, Steven Gates (widely known as "Gatesy") spent time honing his comedic and musical skills as an entertainer at Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant in Melbourne. Highlights of his early theatrical and pre-Tripod career include: Dracula's Cabaret: He performed as a regular cast member at the iconic horror-themed dinner theatre. This environment required a mix of musical performance, slapstick, and interactive character work, which later became hallmarks of Tripod's style.
I even worked in a theatre restaurant called Crazy House," he says. "I fair-dinkum hated it. I didn't get to sing, I told jokes without any material and I had to dance. People laughed at how bad I was. It was eight months of checking your pride at the door every night.
