Dracula

Set Designer

Observers 10 best shows of the year 2015

 

"The circular stage is a dark, bare place, into which an occasional bed or desk rises from unseen depths. The silence is splintered by amplified clinkings, heartbeats, scrapings – and one terrible squelch. The first half of  Theresa Heskins’s production of Dracula is one of the most impressive hours I’ve spent in the theatre for months. The acrobatics are exciting but expressive. Daniella Beattie’s lighting and Laura Clarkson’s design – black, with a few splashes of scarlet – beautifully combine spareness and boldness". - Susannah Clapp  The Guardian, - 4 stars

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"This Dracula is full of atmosphere and invention. The sound is created foley-style at three desks or laboratories positioned high up around the theatre. Sometimes you see the sound being created before you hear it. This double effect is not distracting but adds layer on layer in a performance where appearances are always deceptive.  Dim bulbs hanging overhead flicker and flare. The aerial work brings the entire space into play, creating a psychological dislocation as you have no idea from where danger may next appear. The sparseness of the staging is admirable as is the restrained use of colour – black and white with splashes of red." - Lynn Gardner  The Stage- 4 stars

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PHOTOS BY ANDREW BILLINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY

and personal photos

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Director - Theresa Heskins

Costumes designed by Lis Evans

Lighting designed by Daniella Beattie