Blackwood Players will be producing ‘Dracula’ directly from the Balderston script from 1927. This script is an adaptation of the earlier script by Deane which adapted the novel faithfully. The Balderstone script makes several key changes. Set in 1927, the play mostly takes place in Dr Seward’s Asylum. Dr Seward’s daughter, Lucy, is deathly ill, suffering from a strange wasting disease unknown to medical science. Dr Seward is attended by Johnathan Harker, whose fiancée Mina succumbed to the same disease some weeks earlier. Their plight earns them the sympathy of their neighbour, the new owner of Carfax Abbey, the mysterious Dracula from Eastern Europe. An inmate of the Asylum, Renfield, claims to know what is going on but will not divulge what he knows. In desperation Dr Seward turns to his old teacher, Dr Van Helsing, who surmises that all is not as it seems…

The show will be played straight and is designed as a horror piece to disturb an audience. It is neither a comedy nor a parody. While there will be no outright violence shown on stage there will be shadow-play showing murder etc.

Some characters may be gender swapped for the right actor. The casting will be ‘colourblind’ and performers of all backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to audition.

ROLES

Dracula:  A vampire. Also a stranger in a strange land, an ancient supernatural terror in a modern era. Must be imposing with good stage presence. (Male, but may be gender swapped for the right actor. Older actor preferred.)

Johnathan Harker:  The stereotypical ‘good guy’, who seeks revenge for the death of his fiancée but is intimidated by the supernatural. (Male 20s)

Dr Seward:  A scientist, and a firm believer in the rational. (Male, but may be gender swapped for the right actor. Older actor preferred.)

Abraham van Helsing:  An outsider, an almost mystic character. On the side of the good guys, but stands alone and aloof. Needs strong stage presence. (Older actor preferred.)

Renfield:  A lunatic, and a constant source of trouble for Dr Seward. Violent and unpredictable to the point of being dangerous to himself and others. A good role for a character actor. Good physicality required. (Male, but may be gender swapped for the right actor, any age.)

Lucy:  Dr Seward’s daughter. A good girl under siege by forces beyond her control. Normally headstrong and struggling with the powerlessness she feels. (Female 20s.)

Maid:  Confidante of Lucy, and sometimes her only protector. (Female, any age.)

Attendant:  Unimaginative, but knows how to keep the inmates in line. Has a sadistic streak and relishes using more force than necessary. (Male, any age.)

To book an audition please contact us on our email address blackwood.players@gmail.com, with what part you are interested in, so we can email you the audition package and a copy of the script.

Rehearsals will commence on Sunday 16th July.

All rehearsals will be Tuesday nights from 7.30pm – 10.00pm and Sunday afternoons from 2pm – 5.00pm, sometimes Sunday evenings from 6.00pm – 9.30pm.

Dates of Performances.

Friday 27th October 2023

Saturday 28th October 2023

Tuesday 31st October “Halloween Night”

Friday 3rd November 2023

Saturday 4th November 2023

Friday 10th November 2023

Saturday 11th November 2023

All shows commence at 8pm.