Dracula

I saw Dracula last night and I'm afraid I have some misgivings with our esteemed optom's review. What this production needed was a dramaturg and some direction. The text was unwieldy and anachronistic, which wasn't helped by the clumsy appropriation of the 1960's as a setting. There were several moments when it was clear that actors had little interest in their lines, and at least a few when they appeared not to know them at all. I don't think the actors are entirely to blame for this- if a director isn't going to correct the way you pronounce "clerk", even in a British accent, why bother? Entire sections of the script could easily have been lifted without damaging the story. In fact it probably would have made the story more clear. The whole show felt very bolted-on. One of the characters was smoking the whole time, which didn't offend me, but certainly didn't tell us anything about her character or the story. The technical side of the show was generally lacklustre and far below par for the Hayman Theatre. I know the lack of interest from the Curtin purse-holders may be the culprit. But there were serious errors in direction here too- actors not being lit because the stage was too tall or a curtain too low, sound cues being far too loud to hear dialogue. And the chicken dinner was farcical. Here's where the play could have redeemed itself: it could have been a wonderful farce. There were moments which some members of the audience (I guess Gordon included) found funny. I found them embarrassing. Comedy relies on irony for effect, and there simply wasn't any irony to be found in Dracula. With decent dramaturgy, and cohesive direction, this could have been a remarkable parody. And it's not that it tried and fell short- it just wasn't pushed that way at all. These are directorial issues and I was incredibly disappointed for the performers involved. There are some very good performances here. I agree that Keir Wilkins has lovely grace in his lead role. David Kinsman was a breath of fresh air in the second act, and although his performance seemed out of sync with the production, his intensity should be closely observed by the rest of the cast. Jess de Gouw had sublime moments, and was (again) screaming for direction. Jess has an incredible talent for engaging the audience, and even though some of her lines were a little hollow, her performance was the stand-out of the show. You could be seriously entertained watching her peel potatoes. My experience of the Hayman theatre, from inside and out, is that the best shows it produces are fuelled by a passionate ensemble and driven by cohesive direction. This is not one of those shows. I urge the cast to remember that there is an audience there, and to engage with us- it's only funny if you let us in on the joke.