Category: Auditions

directed by Duncan Moore

30 October – 3 November 2012 (auditions 12 & 13 June 2012)
Auditions at St Bride’s Foundation. See our venues page for address and map.

Count Dracula is one of the world’s most famous literary creations. Bram Stoker’s novel has inspired and spawned many adaptations.

Liz Lochhead, Scotland’s current National Poet, adapted the novel for the stage in 1985. To write her adaptation, she immersed herself in Stoker’s book.

We will be leaving Hammer Horror behind with this production. Bar a couple of major character changes, Lochhead’s adaptation sticks fairly close to Stoker’s novel. Therefore there will be plenty of blood and chills but more importantly we have a great story to tell and great complex characters to be played.

In the introduction to her script Lochhead wrote on reading Stoker’s original:

“After a sleepless night my hair was standing on end, what with the mad Renfield in his lunatic asylum eating flies and playing John the Baptist to his coming master … and with Lucy’s description of her “dream” of flying with the red-eyed one above the lighthouse at Whitby, and Jonathan’s “dream” of the three Vampire Brides’ advances upon him and of their being repelled at the last minute by the furious Dracula.

Still, what really attracted me to the story was Rule One for becoming a vampire-victim – ‘First of all you have to invite him in’”

Those involved in the Summer Season can audition for Dracula, the first show in the Winter Season.

Characters:

• Mina Westerman – Mina is strong, assertive, protective and loyal. Mina fights for progressive attitudes towards women and class, while at the same time being concerned about protecting her role and her family’s role in society. She is far stronger and braver than she knows. (Female,  20s)
• Lucy Westerman  – Mina’s younger sister, “dreaming her young girl dreams” Lucy, even though not a child, has a fresh innocent childlike quality to her, though her topics of conversation are often anything but childlike. She is vivacious and flirtatious. Also plays Vampire Bride 3. (Female, 18-25)
• Florrie Hathersage – Westerman’s new maid. “She is very pretty and just a little nervous”.  Florrie is counsel to both sisters throughout the story.  She also has her own story – the ‘downstairs’ part of the play to the Westerman’s ‘upstairs’ story. Also plays Vampire Bride 2. (Female, 18-30)
• Nurse Nisbett / Nurse Grice – one actress playing two very different nurses who work at Bedlam. One nurse is a sadist the other a masochist. Also plays Vampire Bride 3. (Female, 25-40)
• Jonathan Harker – A solicitor, keen to impress. An English gentleman (still wet behind the ears) from a public school. Naïve. Has to find strength to survive. (Male, 20-30)
• Doctor Arthur Seward – A talented doctor, formerly Van Helsing’s pupil. Strict but fair. Married to his job, loves it and lives for it. Is, without his knowing, a romantic at heart.  Has to battle his scientific beliefs and values against those of superstition and vampires. (Male, 28-36)
• Count Vlad Dracula – a role that is impossible to describe in just a few words.  The actor playing Dracula will need a lot of stage presence as well as the guts to take on, and not be scared by, the role and the audience’s pre-conceived ideas.  The actor will need to be able to do/learn an Eastern European accent. (Male, any age)
• Van Helsing – A Dutch professor, described by his former pupil Dr. Seward as “a philosopher and metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day.”  Not fearless but knows that fear is to be respected and must be confronted. Again presence is very important for this role.  The actor will need to be able to do/learn a Dutch accent.  (Male, 40 +)
• Renfield – A patient in bedlam. “He rocks back and forth, he sometimes catcalls and chants. He is presently gabbling manically.”  This is not a comic role (it’s often played as comic relief).  A very intense role.  Again it needs an actor that is not scared of taking on such an iconic character from Dracula mythology. The actor will need a lot of energy and stamina. (Male, any age)
• Orderly Drinkwater – a silent role. An orderly at Bedlam and perhaps the only sane person there.  Drinkwater is silent for a reason not because the character is a small role. (Male or female, 25-40)