Dracula

An evening spent with Wakefield Little Theatre (WLT) found the audience transported to Transylvania where Aaron Joseph playing Solicitors clerk Jonathan Harker had travelled to visit an aging Count who was seeking to move to England.  Harker is a captivating story teller and eloquently set the scene whilst not knowing what was to come when we meet Count Dracula, Paul Troughton.  Troughton was a disturbing and frightening performer whose posture and hissing captured this infamous character.  This re-telling of Bram Stoker’s novel by John Godber and Jane Thornton is perhaps a little lengthy in the first act though the characters created by WLT were engaging and disturbing in equal measure. 

With the action initially set in Dracula’s castle Troughton and Joseph manage much of the initial story and both played their roles well.  We share in Harker’s anxiety as he is trapped inside the castle and the repeated appearances of Dracula build the fear and torment.

When the action moves to England we meet Julia Caves as Mina Harker, the love interest of Joseph, who was wonderfully played with a demure presence, suitably fitting for a lady of the period.  Similarly, Mae Deakin as Lucy Westenra transitioned from an eager young girl to a vampire and her nightly sleep walks were elegantly moved.  The exchange of letters between Harker and Westenra was a clever way to tell part of the story and also allowed the audience to see the more jovial, happy and optimistic sides of these two characters, prior to the arrival of Dracula in their lives.

Martijn Den Burger-Green as Renfield (a patient at the asylum who becomes obsessed with Dracula) was totally disturbing and Burger-Green maintained his madness throughout his time on stage.  Dr Seward, the psychiatrist who studies Renfield, was played with thoughtfulness by Mabz Beet and Arthur Holmwood (Lucy's fiancé) was confidently played Frank Allen-Battensby who seeks to move on with the fight against Dracula.  Professor Van Helsing, a vampire hunter trying to help Seward, was played by Martin Tyrell, who conveyed the intrepid nature of his character as he seeks to halt the wrong doings of the vampire world. 

There was strong support from members of the ensemble in smaller roles - Helen Grace (sexy vampire), Louise Miller (maid, nurse), Richard Deakin (sailor, estate agent) and Lisa Scott (Mrs Bloxam) whose laughter and prose from the wings added to tension.

Costumes were good and make-up was excellent, particularly as it was being dynamically applied as the play was in progress to show the growing fear, tiredness and sickness of the players.   The set was simple but effective and was swiftly changed to keep the story moving.  Props were excellent and the coffin, head and vampire fighting tools were very worthy of note.  Sound and light was well used and the smoke created a foreboding atmosphere.

Congratulations to Joanna Goldson in her directing debut, this was a difficult piece to attempt and the hard work and creativity were clearly evident.  Well done to all the cast and crew – I hope you slept well after each show – I certainly didn’t.

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