This play lends itself perfectly to the spooky season. Aberdeen Performing Arts and the National Theatre of Scotland have created a uniquely adapted tale from the late 19th Century. Dreamlike Scottish folk music swaddles you into the world of the play, where the audience held their breaths about what might happen.
Scottish culture is not in the mainstream theatrical circuit, so it was educational as well as entertaining for the audience. The way that this production was adapted by Morna Pearson from Bram Stoker’s American story, with detail, humour and a real sense of world building, meant the audience really bought the world of Aberdeen’s hospital for women and the characters in it.
Lighting (Aideen Malone) and sound (Fraser Mackie) were parts of the production that I really enjoyed. Both designs were impressive throughout and added to the ethereal qualities onstage and allowed the moments with shock value to be fully realised.
Dracula (Liz Kettle) certainly lived up to expectation. Liz was able to hold the tension onstage very well, she had the audience in her hands. Her character was well thought out to the finer details, including managing to move across the stage with a floating quality. You could tell a lot of work was put into this character.
Another highlight was Dr Seward (Maggie Bain). Whenever they appeared onstage, they drew my attention. Their conviction of character was obvious and confident, they were a real asset to the cast.
Though a new take on the story, this particular production felt slow at times, especially in the first half. Pauses in dialogue and drawn out silences were too regular, and which caused audience members to look at their watches in need of an interval break.
Some performances onstage felt too regimented. The death of Dr Seward in Act 2 looked like a rehearsal, and I was not convinced of Mina’s performance here (Danielle Jam). Sally Cookson’s directions therefore were taken too literally, and performers at times felt as if they were too busy remembering the steps to a routine or where they should be onstage rather than being fully absorbed in the story using the directions as a tool.
Overall, a great way to get ready for Halloween season. This alternative Dracula story works well and flourishes in parts, yet there needs to be a greater urgency on stage by all performers to really sell the world they are playing in.
Reviewer: Hannah Esnouf
Reviewed: 24th October 2023
North West End UK Rating: