On Friday 17 January, Year 8 walked from school to Malvern Theatres. We were going to watch Bram Stoker’s Dracula and although most of us have walked the route to the theatre before in daylight, the evening darkness, chill in the air and the prospect of a gothic thriller made the walk that evening a little bit more eerie.
The play was set in 1897 and stretched from London to Transylvania. The stage set was unusual, consisting of wooden frames, and crates that the actors creatively moved around to design new scenes.
The cast was small with only six actors playing multiple roles. They swapped from one character to another through the change of costume, voice, and excellent storytelling, leading to powerful performances. The characters through mime showed true emotions, and we were captivated. The play took us through the heartbreak of some to the coming together of others. Dracula was constantly plotting to take another’s soul. Whilst the doctors were trying to solve the puzzle. The performance was broken up with powerful chants and a couple of spooky songs.
The play was a thoroughly modern production and a frightfully fitting end to our Gothic Literature module.
By Sophie Clarke – Year 8
