Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter

“I take no credit for the darkness that lives in the hearts of men!” - Dracula’s admonition to Captain Atkins in Sporadic Productions, Dracula, the Last Voyage of the Demeter.

The Demeter was a Russian sailing vessel responsible for bringing the vampire Count Dracula from his homeland in Wallachia to the seaside town of Whitby in England. The boat maintained a skeleton crew which consisted of just the captain, two officers and five crewmen.

Adapted from ‘The Captain's Log’, a chapter in Bram Stoker's immortal Dracula, Sean Carney, the playwright, has represented his villain as the master manipulator rather than the figure of Gothic horror as we have come to expect.

This has two repercussions for the play, performers and audience. Firstly, on the positive side, Dracula’s menace is far more sinister when we see no physical signs of his control (i.e. neck biting). Secondly, unfortunately the play becomes mostly a series of static duologues, that are, at times quite lengthy. This has the effect of causing the play to drag in the middle section. This is no fault of the actors, rather the nature of the script.

Director David Dyte has kept the production simple, a jail cell, barrel and chair. This focuses our attention solely on the acting and the text.

The performances vary as do the accents. Notable are -  Hugh O’Connor’s perfect Romanian accent as Dracula, Eira Thorstensson’s loyal first mate prepared to do anything for his Captain, Paul Messenger’s tortured Captain of the Demeter, torn between his family and his fascination with Dracula, Kahlia Tutty’s stoic Jessica, the Captain’s wife and Alycia Rabig’s Elizabeth, her daughter. The remaining cast, Danny Sag’s greedy passenger Hopkins, bent on self-preservation and Mike Shaw’s passenger, Gibson, determined to bring Dracula to justice, add depth to the story.

Dracula. The Last Voyage of the Demeter has a suitably bloody conclusion. So, who is the mysterious killer who is murdering the crew? That I will not reveal. I will say I did not pick the killer until the end.

The soundscapes played in the blackout between scenes add to the eerie atmosphere. The atmosphere would have been better maintained had the sound continued under the dialogue. The subdued, moody lighting added to the supernatural feel, although I would have liked a little more light towards the back of the stage.

Sporadic Productions are to be commended on their costuming of this play. It is simple and true to the period, particularly the dresses of Jessica and Elizabeth. I loved the touch of ‘Stoker Shipping Co’ on the side of Dracula’s shipping container!

Dracula. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an interesting take of the Dracula story that pays off in many ways and sure to be of interest to any Bram Stoker aficionado.

Barry Hill OAM

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