Writer: Morna Pearson (After Bram Stoker)
Director: Sally Cookson
As the weather begins to turn icy and cold over Liverpool, there is no better time to be immersed in the world of Dracula. Morna Pearson’s version of Bram Stoker’s horror classic remains very true to the original text, while cleverly adding feminist twists and turns. This ‘uniquely Scottish version of the Bram Stoker classic’ starts with protagonist Mina, played by Danielle Jam, arriving at the Aberdeen Asylum for Women, where she begins to tell the tale of her intermingling with the infamous vampire.
This leads into Mina’s version of the tale where she, Lucy (Ailsa Davidson) and the rest of the female ensemble are subjected to strict enforcement of antiquated gender roles and downright misogyny. Reluctant to be proposed to by Jonathan Harker (Catriona Faint) and subtle feud with Dr. Seward (Maggie Bain) brings female angst to the narrative which leads to the many incidents where the narrative sways into a more revolutionary feminist piece.
Stifled by patriarchal oppression and unfortunate circumstances at the beginning of her life, Mina longs for a new life. A life where she is taken seriously for her intelligence and her lust for knowledge, rather than the life she lives under subjugation where “reading can shrink your ovaries”. It is this provocation which drives to the narrative’s defiant ending, giving the women of the asylum the freedom of choice to take charge of their lives.
Liz Kettle’s Dracula brings an enticing performance that draws the audience in, like being lured into the narrative by the vampire themself. Jam’s Mina flipped the ‘final girl’ theory on its head. Adding strength, motivation and curiosity to Mina gave her a cunning edge that was very welcomed, but lacked emotional depth. A magnetic performance from all.
Ladened with bouts of comedy, the audience is treated with palette cleansers which intensifies the horror of the show. With cleverly placed jump scares throughout, the comedy is not the only force driving giggles of disbelief from the audience.
Vicki Manderson’s carefully constructed direction of movement was masterful. The utilisation of the body’s angular contortion to create creature-like characters of Renfield (Ros Watt) and vampiric Lucy gave a sense of unease and enhanced the power of Dracula within the narrative.
The set and video design brought the play to life. The set and costume design (Kenneth Macleod) cleverly uses height and depth to transport the story from the Aberdeen Asylum to the dungeonous depths of Dracula’s Transylvania castle. Video projection added to the set created levels of treacherous waves and splattering blood to bring to life the tragedy and gore of this profound Scottish horror.
Runs Until 28 October 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Bloody and Bold
