November 03

Dracula – Classic Horror Re-imagined

Posted by lisathatcher on November 3, 2024 in Articles | 3 Comments

Wyong Drama Group – 1 November – 9 November 2024

Images: Playgroup Photos

In the rain-soaked summer of 1816, on the shores of Lake Geneva, a gathering of literary minds found themselves imprisoned by relentless storms.

Lord Byron, ever the provocateur, issued a challenge to his confined companions: “We will each write a ghost story,” he proclaimed, a suggestion born of ennui that would yield extraordinary fruit. Among the assembled were Percy Bysshe Shelley, his young wife Mary, and Byron’s personal physician, John Polidori.

From this creative cauldron emerged two nascent works that would cast long shadows over the landscape of Gothic literature.

Mary Shelley conjured forth “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” as her contribution, while John Polidori crafted “The Vampyre,” the seminal tale that would lay the groundwork for the enduring legend of Dracula. Eighty years later Bram Stoker birthed the novel we all know, and one hundred years after that, Steven Dietz masterfully crafts his theatrical adaptation, breathing new life into the timeless tale while preserving its haunting essence.

Director Jane Sackman has chosen this iteration of the ageless narrative for The Wyong Drama Group’s Halloween offering to the Central Coast. In her capable hands, the production transcends the oft-held preconceptions of community theatre, blossoming into a tour de force that breathes new life into Stoker’s gothic masterpiece.

The Vampyre, immortalized as Dracula, has cast its shadow over literature with the same enduring power as Frankenstein’s creation. Each tale rages against industrialisation, suspicious of science, and rationality. Frankenstein serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition, showing what can go wrong when humans push beyond nature’s limits. Dracula, on the other hand, embodies the wild, ancient forces within us that can’t be easily understood or controlled by logic.

To this end, Georgie Martin offers us a Lucy bucking against the conventions of the day, changed into (arguably) an honest version of herself after transformation. She is elegantly posited against Courtney-Jade Buckley’s Mina, the intelligent modern woman seeking depth, by subduing a wilder self. Lucy wants to feel. Mina wants to be strong. Both women elevate the potential stereotypes of these roles under the direction of Jane Sackman. The performances give us complex women with their own story to tell.

The women are surrounded by the men of science. Raif Colbert-Smith’s elegantly spoken Dr John Seward seeking answers to the most difficult problems through the scientific method. Colbert-Smith portrays a sad John Seward separated by rationality from his burning desire for Lucy. Stephen Van Tongeren plays the complex role of Jonathan Harker without a falter in his step. From his passivity at the hands of Dracula’s vixens to his promise to kill the love of his life, this portrayal, one of the most important of the play, leaves us deeply connected to the character. Finally, Andrew McLennan’s Professor Van Helsing balances the skeptic and snake oil salesman, moving from rage to shock as he tries to navigate the unfathomable.

And what is the unfathomable? That Dracula is real. To be a good person is to lose one’s life to the eradication of evil. This idea is well born out in Adam Golledge’s Dracula, played with the frailty and unstoppability of the evil archetype. Adam Golledge offers us a wily Dracula whose ability to control those around him extends to the audience. With the superb performance of Duncan Mitchell’s lunatic prophet Renfield, this Dracula reminds us the horror extends beyond his immediate presence. This feeling of evil reaching into the audience is further enhanced by the performances of Sara Brown and Sarah Anderson as the Vixens, portrayed as promise and threat in one.

The competent, stoic and well directed support cast include Jacquie Pirina, Gavin Fryer, Amelia Greeff and Bear Phoenix. Jane Sackman tells us in her supporting notes that she worked with her dream cast, and it shows. The quality of the performance is high, immersive and very entertaining.

But, what is a play like Dracula without special effects? This production never abandons the essential mood. A stunning set design and array of special effects by long time theatre veteran Daryl Kirkness keeps us on the edge of our seats. The maturity and sophistication of the effects gives the play gravitas and allows the audience to disappear into the drama. With elegantly designed costumes (that fit the cast!) by Margaret Holdom and original music composed by Andrew Worboys, the production professionalism makes for a superb night of theatre.

Dracula, a tale that teeters on the precipice of kitsch, camp, and comedy if mishandled, finds sure footing under Jane Sackman’s deft direction. In her production notes, Sackman acknowledges this delicate balance, and her masterful touch ensures the show remains true to its original intent.

This 1996 stage adaptation, brought to life nearly two decades later, proves its enduring relevance and power. Sackman and her talented ensemble have crafted a production that is at once chilling, exhilarating, and intellectually stimulating, while never losing its sense of sheer entertainment.