On the night of Saturday, October 4, the velvet curtains of UPAC in Kingston will part—and not just for a show, but for a reckoning. The Vampire Circus is coming: a nightmarish carnival stitched from moonlight, shadows, and delirious spectacle. Imagine Tim Burton and Cirque du Soleil had a secret baby, raised by Vlad the Impaler—and you’ve got a taste of what’s in store.
From the moment you step into that darkened auditorium, the world you thought you knew dissolves. The Vampire Circus doesn’t just perform before you—it climbs into your skin, dances in your blood. It’s a 90-minute plunge into the Underworld, full of contortionists who twist like twisted vines, acrobats who defy gravity (or maybe sanity), and illusions that whisper lies in your ear.
The conceit is deliciously gothic: it’s 19th-century Bohemia, and Count Dracula, in his ceaseless quest for dominion, has opened a traveling circus. The ruse? The performances mask his insidious plan to convert the mortal populace into his vampiric minions. His gypsy bodyguards, the circus ensemble, and his dark underlings weave together in an immersive tapestry meant to blur the boundary between audience and actor.
Expect the weird and the wonderful in equal measure. Jugglers toss blades as easily as apples. Clowns leer where they should comfort. A “Mad Graveyard Clown” may just steal your breath—or your soul. Audience interactions, twisted humor, and moments that break the fourth wall make you question whether you’re merely watching—or being watched.
But above all, The Vampire Circus is about contrast: fear and joy, absurdity and terror, the gleam of acrobatic athleticism and the cold hush of the macabre. One moment your heart races; the next, you laugh (nervously). And when the show ends—if it ends—the memory lingers: you’ll walk out wondering if the carnival, somewhere, followed you home.
At UPAC, ticket prices range from about $58.75 up to $83.75, so this is no minor ghost-show—it’s a full-scale immersive spectacle. Doors open to audiences willing to be tempted, unsettled, dazzled—and yes, complicit in Dracula’s dark carnival.
If you’re craving something that bites, this is your night. Come with your light off—because The Vampire Circus will leave it off for you.
