Nosferatu - The Visitor

Ustinov Studio, Bath

The logistics of hosting a play based on Bram Stoker's Dracula in the confines of the Ustinov was by no means a limit upon performance or production. The intimate venue lent itself to the London based Red Shift theatre company who have become renowned for their ability to create a fresh interpretation of classic tales. In the case of the sinister they flourish.

The minimal cast allowed for a canvas, for the performers to be stretched in most cases between two parts, allowing for the doppelganger nature of Dracula to be addressed in the new format.

The gothic feel is retained through the secretive character of Professor Van Helsing who together with the characters from the original book allows for a fresh perspective on the proceedings unlike any other. The creation of Jonathan Holloway nestles the well-known narrative within London's blitz and manages to centre upon the often-overlooked seductive nature of the topic to overtake the more gruesome realities of most adaptations. Aided by an imposing soundtrack which successfully immerses the audience into war-torn London.

The adaptation creates a dark 'medical' condition and uses the guise of a 'blood transfusion' to hide the blood-sucking reality, pulling the audience into an underworld of addiction. Fundamental euro-scepticism and fear of medical progress bring yet more contemporary issues to war-ravaged London and the classic tale of Dracula. The desired result is unsettled intrigue in this enlightened horror.