Seven lunatics, two asylum attendants, a fiddler and diatonic accordionist tell the story of Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula's journey to England, and towards release from the curse of eternal life. The Bram Stoker (1847-1912) of the title wrote the novel (Dracula, 1897) on which the story is based, adapted here by director and designer Áine King. The play is presented in 2 acts (50 mins, 44 mins, plus 25 min interval).

The original story (eg at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula) has Count Dracula (David K Whiting) summoning solicitor Jonathan Harker (Alexander Barnes) to his castle in the Carpathian Mountains to complete buying a house in Victorian London. Three female vampires come to Jonathan in the night; he's saved at the last minute by the Count and escapes. Dracula travels to England on a ship, The Demeter, kills the crew and comes ashore as a dog. Wilhelmina 'Mina' Murray (Laura Corbett) finds her fiance Jonathan recuperating in a convent in Europe and marries him. Dr John Seward (Padraig Breathnach) proposes to her best friend, Lucy Westenra (Charlotte Slater). Dr Seward runs a psychiatric hospital next door to Dracula's new home, Carfax Abbey at Purfleet. Mr Renfield (David K Whiting) who eats insects and small animals is a patient, and Dracula comes for him. Will Mina and Lucy be bitten? Will Dracula finally die? 448 pages (Penguin Classics; also Kindle, Amazon) hold the answer.

Here, all the parts are played by lunatics in Dr Seward's asylum. 'Dr Seward' is himself one of the patients. The asylum is run by attendants sadistic Ellis (Toby Dale) and fractionally more compassionate Jenner (Katrina Marchant). Other inmates include Maude McGee (Fiona Byrne), and the inmate who plays the novel's vampire-slayer - Professor Van Helsing (Greg Page). The novel has a mind-link between Dracula and Renfield and here it is skilfully replaced by one actor (David K Whiting) playing both. A mind link between Mina and Dracula towards the end of the novel is also brought out in the play.

This staged version by Áine King - with clipping, snipping, adjustments of character relationships, and coverage of many characters by the actors/inmates - cleverly gets in pretty much all of the novel's plot (and storm-force erotic undertow) and so justifies the novelist's name in the title. Having characters played by the inmates is confusing sometimes, and there's no obvious reason for doing so. Nor, at first glance, for tacking-on a hefty dose of feminist theory (which feels like a doctoral thesis as it clumps into the play, but provides a very neat plot twist at the end). There doesn't have to be a reason if it works, and it works delightfully.

Two on-stage expert and imaginative musicians compose and play a fine soundscape: Antony Hodgson provides sinister fiddle; Bill Sweatman provides atmospheric diatonic accordion. Lighting operation is by Tom Dilloway. Stage manager is Melissa Usmar. Box office staff in costume create atmosphere from point of sale onwards: Lizzie Harvell, Roisin Moyle, Sophie Buijsen. Gorgeous costumes, each apt for character and period are by Jane Green. Producers are Nicola Haydn & Tom Arr-Jones for company Otherplace Productions (www.otherplaceproductions.co.uk).

Fine performances include Katrina Marchant's Jenner, Toby Dale's Ellis, David K Whiting's Renfield / Dracula. And all of the cast individually and collectively - great ensemble pony and trap - who produce a strong, imaginative and magnificent piece of theatre. From beginning to end it doesn't falter, and delivers a solid wham of entertaiment.

Highlight is Charlotte Slater's Lucy. In a strong cast, her performance stands out. She gives her characterisation the wide-open throttle which the play's fairly extremely camp mood cries out for, but keeps it just the right side of the over-acting that this rip-roaring Gothic vampire drama might invite. Charlotte Slater's Lucy exists in a frenzy of longing and frustrated sexual desire; is arch, vampish, manipulative, feline (crawling catlike, terrifyingly, on-stage as Lucy transformed) and passionate (plus an impish cameo as figurehead of the Demeter) - superb.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Alexander Barnes - Jonathan Harker. Padraig Breathnach - Dr Jack Seward. Fiona Byrne - Maude McGee. Laura Corbett - Mina Westenra. Toby Dale - Ellis, chief asylum attendant. Katrina Marchant - Jenner, asylum attendant. Greg Page - Professor Van Helsing. Charlotte Slater - Lucy Westenra. David K Whiting - Mr Renfield. Musicians: Antony Hodgson - fiddle. Bill Sweatman - diatonic accordion.

Company Credits: Writer (of Dracula, 1897) - Bram Stoker (1847-1912). Adapter - Áine King. Director - Áine King. Designer - Áine King. Lighting Operator - Tom Dilloway. Stage Manager - Melissa Usmar. Box Office - Lizzie Harvell. Box Office - Roisin Moyle. Box Office - Sophie Buijsen. Costumes - Jane Green. Producer - Nicola Haydn & Tom Arr-Jones. Company - Otherplace Productions. Website - www.otherplaceproductions.co.uk.

END

John Park

reviewed Wednesday 3 November 2010 / The Latest Music Bar Theatre, Brighton UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com