Library and Information Services, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Sunday 13 November 2011

Lochhead Dracula at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Whittaker is sorry he only saw Dracula at the Royal Conservatoire yesterday.  It would have been nice to have seen Medea - also by Scotland's Makar - as well.

Still, it was a great performance.  Alasdair Hankinson rattled his chains engagingly and maniacally throughout, linking the various threads of the plot together.  (How he did that balancing act with the chair is a complete mystery to me - surely anyone else would have fallen flat on their face, rather than just gracefully lowering it forward with their full weight shifting from the legs to the back of the chair?) 

David Bode was a chilling Dracula, whilst Ruby Richardson and Eve Ponsonby had us wondering whether Lucy and Florrie were both just a little highly-strung from the outset.  As for Van Helsing, played by Brian Fisher - was the hysterical laughter a sign that he, too, was just a little 'touched'?  Or was the unspoken message that we can all seem a little unhinged at times of tension?

Whittaker has reviewed plenty of books - and indeed musical performances - in his time, but he has never reviewed a play before.  What do you think?  Is he picking up the right points?

Oh, yes - and he did enjoy the background piano music.  What was it?!

Whittaker's first book review

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