A Madcap Mystery Opens TheatreFEST
2026 at NC State University Theatre

NC State University Theatre's production of The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful is exactly the sort of gloriously theatrical madness that summer-theater festivals were made for. Written by Charles Ludlam and directed by Danica Jenelle Jackson, the production launches TheatreFEST 2026 with a high-camp, high-speed spoof of Gothic horror, Victorian melodrama, drawing-room mystery, werewolf legends, Egyptian curses, and just about every theatrical convention that can be lovingly mocked.

Set at the eerie Mandacrest Estate, The Mystery of Irma Vep begins with familiar melodramatic ingredients: a brooding English lord, his second wife, the memory of the mysterious first wife, servants with secrets, strange noises in the night, and the sense that something very unnatural is lurking just outside the window. But Ludlam's play is less interested in solving a mystery than in turning the entire genre inside out. The plot twists, doubles back, changes costumes, and lunges from the moors to Egypt with gleeful abandon.

The central joke, and the central challenge, is that two actors play a dizzying assortment of characters. That means the evening depends not only on comic timing, but also on stamina, precision, and the invisible choreography of backstage quick changes, 38 of them I heard! In NC State's production, the performers -- Jackson Griffin and Gus Allen -- embrace the absurdity rather than trying to tame it. The humor comes from commitment: every melodramatic gasp, ominous pause, suspicious glance, and overripe declaration is delivered as though the fate of civilization depends on it. No matter the insanity, these two played it straight, which doubles the laughter.

Director Danica Jenelle Jackson keeps the production moving at the clip the material requires. The Mystery of Irma Vep can easily collapse if the pace slackens or if the performers wink too hard at the audience. Here, the comedy works best when the actors trust the ridiculousness of the situation and push forward with total seriousness. The result is a show that feels both silly and technically demanding -- a reminder that farce is not casual chaos, but chaos engineered with discipline.

The Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre is a smart home for this kind of piece. The intimacy of the space lets the audience feel the mechanics of the performance: the rush of entrances and exits, the accumulating absurdity, and the shared anticipation of how the next impossible transformation will be pulled off. In a larger space, some of the play's comic delicacy might evaporate. Here, the audience is close enough to enjoy the details and to become part of the joke.

What makes The Mystery of Irma Vep enduring is that it is not merely a parody of old horror stories and melodramas. It is also a love letter to theater itself -- to costumes, trapdoors, stock characters, stage fog, fake accents, dramatic lighting, and the old-fashioned pleasure of watching actors do something wildly difficult right in front of us. The play knows that theater is artificial, and then it asks: Isn't that the fun of it?

The production also serves as an ideal opening entry for TheatreFEST 2026, NC State University Theatre's summer celebration of live performance. Running May 28th through June 21st, TheatreFEST brings together productions, workshops, community events, and opportunities for theater-makers and audiences to connect. Along with The Mystery of Irma Vep, this year's festival includes Agatha Christie and Gerald Verner's Towards Zero, the free TheatreFEST open house on June 13th, QuickSCRIPTS, and Sips & Scripts, which supports new work by North Carolina playwrights.

That broader festival context matters. TheatreFEST is not simply a summer slot on the calendar; it is a gathering point for artists, students, educators, community theaters, playwrights, and audiences. In that spirit, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a fitting invitation. It is playful, accessible, knowingly theatrical, and built around the simple joy of watching performers transform themselves before our eyes.

By the end of the evening, the mystery may be less important than the mayhem. But that is exactly as it should be. The Mystery of Irma Vep does not ask to be believed or even understood; it asks to be enjoyed. NC State University Theatre's production accepts that invitation with style, speed, and a generous sense of fun.

The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful runs May 28th through June 14th, in NC State University Theatre's Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre as part of TheatreFEST 2026.

Charles Ludlam's THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP: A PENNY DREADFUL (7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday), directed by Danica Jenelle Jackson and starring Jackson Griffin and Gus Allen (TheatreFEST 2026 in the Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre in NC State University's Frank Thompson Hall in Raleigh). PRESENTER: https://theatre.arts.ncsu.edu/events-calendar/theatrefest/, https://go.ncsu.edu/TFest, https://theatre.arts.ncsu.edu/, https://www.facebook.com/ncstateuniversitytheatre/, https://www.instagram.com/ncstateuniversitytheatre/, https://www.tiktok.com/@ncsu.theatre.students, https://x.com/NCSUTheatre, and https://www.youtube.com/@universitytheatre6762. 2026 SEASON: https://theatre.arts.ncsu.edu/events-calendar/theatrefest/. VENUE: https://theatre.arts.ncsu.edu/venues/university-theatre-spaces/#kmac. DIRECTIONS & PARKING: https://theatre.arts.ncsu.edu/directions-and-parking/. THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP: A PENNY DREADFUL (1984 Off-Broadway three-act satirical farce): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/2310/the-mystery-of-irma-vep-a-penny-dreadful, https://www.spectra.theater/explore/production/39b94c88-e967-5056-9774-2afae1c09780?all=1, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mystery_of_Irma_Vep. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis): https://www.repstl.org/assets/doc/M5_StudyGuide_Irma-Vep-5ed8444fde.pdf. CHARLES LUDLAM (Northport, NY-born actor, director, playwright, and screenwriter, nee Charles Braun Ludlam, 1943-87): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/1868/charles-ludlam, https://www.spectra.theater/explore/artist/7f920805-749e-43d2-a250-3e506bcc4e34, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0524893/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ludlam. WARNING: TheatreFEST 2026 cautions that this show is Rated PG-13 (some content may be unsuitable for children under 13) and includes "Murder, sexual innuendo, haze, and sounds of gunshots. Themes of farce, camp, horror-comedy, satire, and murder mystery." NOTE: There will be supertitle projections during the June 11th, 13th, and 14th performances. TICKETS: $12-$30 general admission, plus taxes and fees, except $20 per person for groups of 10 or more. Click here to buy tickets. GROUP RATES (10+ tickets): Click here; and, when prompted, type IrmaMGRP. TICKET INFORMATION: 919-515-1100 or ticketcentral@ncsu.edu. GENERAL INFORMATION: 919-515-3927 or universitytheatre@ncsu.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: N.C. State University Theatre.

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