We wonder how many fans of stage musicals have now purchased tickets to see Mr Swallow: The Musical using the title alone to inform their purchasing decision. We ponder this because these people will have got quite a shock. This show, despite now heading into its last week, appears to still be at the 'dress rehearsal' stage.

The problem is easy to identify: this production of Dracula has Mr Swallow in the key role. Goodness knows why Goldsworth, the play's uptight director, cast the former motivational speaker as the lead, because he is unprofessional from start to finish.

Swallow smudges his make-up in the first five minutes, still doesn't seem to have learnt all his lines and stops scenes mid-action to quibble minor points. When he does eventually get around to actually taking part in a scene, he attempts to steal the limelight from his poor timid co-stars. The only award Swallow is going to win is one for over-acting.

So why are positive word-of-mouth reviews heading around the city, given the story doesn't even get to the climax (Swallow insists on ordering takeaway food before the final scene)? And, why, if it's so unprofessional, has it even managed to glean a glowing review from the notoriously grumpy Fest magazine? Well, in case you hadn't yet twigged, this is actually a spoof musical masterminded by Nick Mohammed.

The production may appear to falls to pieces, and scenes may indeed judder to a halt as the prissy character decides to take his own direction, dragging his co-stars with him, but there's actually a tightly scripted entertainment plan hidden behind all this.

Mr Swallow: The Musical works on two levels though... there is lots of jokes and farce, but actually, even if Swallow isn't always singing what he should be, it is still a musical. Anyone stumbling on the show expecting genuine song and dance numbers will probably still be impressed. It's got high production values (including a set, live music and full stage lighting), and the cast (Mohammed, David Elms, Joanna Grace and Kieran Hodgson) really can sing. Oh, and there's some rollerskating and a magic trick too!

Go see it. If you miss it at the Fringe, fingers crossed its success at the festival will result in Mohammed bringing it to other locations this autumn... so keep your eyes on the listings.

To give you a flavour of what the show looks like, here's some photos:

And here's a video of Mr Swallow and the cast rehearsing backstage:

'Mr Swallow: The Musical' is at the Pleasance Dome at 7pm until the 24th August. Listing