Words by Melissa Blease
Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday 12 October
Drac’s back! And he’s bought all his seductive, sinister, nefarious glory with him. But even if you think you know all there is to know about the gloomy, blood-sucking stalker with ferocious fangs and a sartorial elegance that’s inspired goths since Irish author Bram Stoker bought the ancient folklore superstar to vivid literary life in 1897, we can always make space in the darkest corners of our lives for a really good retelling.
Celebrating 100 years since Dracula made his theatrical debut at the Grand Theatre in Derby, this brand new Blackeyed Theatre production (adapted by Nick Lane) takes us back to the arch spook’s roots long before the Hammer Horror franchises, several TV/opera/ballet/musical productions, a host of cartoon/video game/porn star appearances, cuddly toys, several kinds of crisps, ice lollies and party snacks and many more variations on the original thriller-killer’s theme turned him into little more than a supermarket-bought fancy dress outfit. Ditch all that, and prepare instead to be navigated on a journey back through the supernatural mists of time to revisit the authentic roots of a terrifying tale that will never be laid to rest.
This production isn’t the attention-grabbing, fright night experience laden with carefully choreographed jump scares, fake fangs, gory blood-letting and startle effects that one might expect in these Netflix-dominated days. To the contrary, it’s traditional story presented to its very best enthralling, immersive advantage; if you haven’t read Stoker’s original book, Blackeyed Theatre will pretty much read it to you.
Suspense, tragedy and drama subtly creeps under the skin rather than assaulting you with manipulative emotional/sensory overload. Victoria Spearing’s sets are stark and deceptively simple, Tristan Parkes’ evocative songs and soundscapes maintain the foreboding mood and even props are kept to a bare minimum, leaving the artfully agile ensemble cast to deliver maximum impact at crucial moments. And, in weaving the historical backdrop at the novel’s time of writing (the burgeoning Women’s Suffrage movement; the plight of sectioned women during the Victorian age; the brutality behind the domination of the British Empire; staunch class and even north/south UK divides) into the largely epistolary structure of the script, the authentic character motivations that Hammer completely hammered out of the Dracula story enrich the whole affair with texture and substance.
There are moments when keeping up with the multi-tasking cast (12 key roles shared between 6 actors) gets a tad confusing, but huge credit goes to David Chafer, Richard Keightley and Harry Rundle for each giving us their very own chillingly charismatic Count who ‘gets younger’ before our very eyes as his fiendishly ferocious powers develop.
Running at just under 2½ hours, this is a linger-long dramatic banquet rather than a quick-fix fright night bite, resulting in a properly chilling, thoroughly atmospheric live theatre experience that lingers long enough in the consciousness for you to seriously consider hanging garlic in your bedroom window frame until the memories fade.
Featured image: Maya-Nika Bewley as Mina Harker and Harry Rundle as Count Dracula in Dracula