The Touring Consortium Theatre Company returned to
Darlington Hippodrome with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This new adaptation by Jenny
King hits you right from the first second and certainly doesn’t stop in the
assault on the senses, which will have you jumping out of your seat right to
the final second.
An ingeniously designed set by Sean Cavanagh has tall gothic
columns seamlessly sliding across the stage creating various scenes from the
bedroom, the castle and asylum. With Ben Cracknell’s lighting, Paul Ewing’s
music and sound and the illusions from Ben Hart, the atmosphere is one you
rarely get in theatre and creates an amazing setting.
Stand out members of the cast were the female Renfield brilliantly
played by Cheryl Campbell who was delightfully insane, Olivia Swann as Mina
came into her own in the final scenes and Jessica Webber as Lucy who had me
transfixed from the start.
The many short, swift scenes moving between Whitby, Transylvania
and the asylum slow the production down, despite the slick scene changes, with the
flashbacks increasing this feel.
This is almost a show of two halves – the story of Dracula
and the amazing set and effects. That said it is certainly worth catching.
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