8 – 12 October
A new stage production of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic thriller Dracula celebrates centenary of the first staging of Bram Stoker’s gothic thriller.
The time is 1897. Mankind is on the cusp of vast technological change, scientific mastery and media innovation. Poised between traditional beliefs, the threat of the unknown and the shock of the new world, an altogether darker fear is emerging. As a new shadow looms large over England, a small group of young men and women, led by Professor Van Helsing, are plunged into an epic struggle for survival.
Stretching from London, through provincial England, to the mountainous wastes of Transylvania, Bram Stoker’s timeless gothic thriller embodies the struggle to break taboos, resist temptation and stop the unknown outside becoming the enemy within.
Adapted by Nick Lane, this new theatrical treatment of Bram Stoker’s adventure blends Victorian gothic with the contemporary, showcasing Blackeyed Theatre’s trademark ensemble performance style and featuring a haunting soundscape, powerful performances and innovative design for an exhilarating theatrical experience.
The cast of six includes three actors playing the role of Count Dracula across the ages. Maya-Nika Bewley, who received an Offie nomination for her role in Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit, plays the roles of Mina Harker and Dr Hennessey. David Chafer, whose credits include The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and The Importance of Being Earnest at the Theatre Mill, plays the roles of Abraham van Helsing and Count Dracula. Richard Keightley, whose credits include Ben and Imo for RSC, Watch on the Rhine at Donmar Warehouse and Twelfth Night at National Theatre, plays the roles of Dr John Seward and Count Dracula. Pelé Kelland-Beau, whose recent credits include Painkiller and Run at Theatre Royal Stratford East, plays the roles of Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris. Marie Osman, whose previous credits include Aromatherapy at Talawa Theatre Company, Nowhere To Run at Hampstead Theatre, and Babe, The Sheep Pig at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, plays the roles of Lucy Westenra and Renfield. Harry Rundle, whose West End credits include Harry Potter & The Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre and Florian Zeller’s The Son at Duke of York’s Theatre, plays the roles of Arthur Holmwood and Count Dracula.
Writer and Director Nick Lane said: “I’m always excited to work with Blackeyed Theatre, and Dracula is such a cracking work – tense, dense and dripping with menace. I wanted to tell the classic story, but also to try and explore certain elements within it in a slightly different way. When you blend the familiar and the strange, what you’re hoping is that the fans of the story – whether in book, film or TV form – feel you’ve done Bram Stoker justice, while those that are coming to Dracula with no preconceptions are drawn in by the mystery of who Count Dracula is. And, of course, ultimately you want to give everyone a great night out.”
Dracula appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th October. To book tickets contact Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit theatreroyal.org.uk
Photo credit: Karl Andre
