Dracula returns to roots in north-east of Scotland
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The writer and an actor involved with a new stage adaptation of Dracula – which brings the story back to its north-east roots – visited Slains Castle in Cruden Bay ahead of rehearsals starting.
Morna Pearson’s thrilling new adaptation, Dracula: Mina's Reckoning, directed by Sally Cookson, is being brought to stages across Scotland and England by the National Theatre of Scotland in a co-production with Aberdeen Performing Arts in association with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.
Pearson and actor Danielle Jam visited the Cruden Bay castle.
The show will tour the UK from Saturday, September 2 to Saturday, October 28.
It will be performed at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen with previews on Saturday, September 2, Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6 and shows on Thursday, September 7, Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9.
It will be at Eden Court in Inverness on Thursday, September 28, Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30.
Sally Cookson’s sweeping, atmospheric production of Morna Pearson’s bold new adaptation is relocated to Aberdeenshire and the wild beauty of north-east Scotland, acknowledging the area’s recently reported inspiration for Bram Stoker’s classic novel.
Set in a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeenshire in 1897, this unique Scottish adaptation places the character of Mina Murray at the centre of the action.
The production features atmospheric, Gothic-inspired set and costumes designed by Kenneth MacLeod with video design by Lewis den Hertog, lighting design by Aideen Malone, a dark, distinctive score from composer Benji Bower and visceral movement from Vicki Manderson.
Danielle Jam said: “It was brilliant to visit Slains Castle. Our version of Dracula is set in the north-east and Slains Castle influenced Bram Stoker in how he imagined Dracula’s castle.
"The local language, dialect and landscape will influence how I play the role of Mina in the production and because I’m from Aberdeen, like Mina, I feel very rooted in the world of the play. I was brought up speaking Doric and where the story is set is my home.
"I’m looking forward to working with the writer, Morna Pearson, who is also from the north-east. I’m excited to speak her words and to learn more about how she envisions the world of Dracula.”
Morna Pearson said: “When researching I read about Stoker’s time in Cruden Bay, I knew Slains Castle was an influence, but I hadn’t appreciated how much, especially the octagonal room which features in the original novel.
"It was inspiring to visit the castle for the first time; it felt very warren-like and oppressive, despite not having a roof.
"The novel’s roots in the north-east are reflected by there being a Doric speaker in the original Dracula and there will be two Doric characters in my version with some others using a lighter dialect.
"It’s fantastic that with our production’s Mina, we have found a brilliant Doric speaking actor like Danielle."
Sharon Burgess, chief executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts said: “This brilliant play is permeated with such a sense of place throughout and it’s setting in Aberdeen makes its premiere at His Majesty's Theatre this September feel like a real homecoming.
"We wanted to celebrate this and the avenues it opens up in terms of sparking imaginations and interest in the history and connections that the original story had to this region, so it was great to see Danielle and Morna soaking up the atmosphere at Slains Castle.”
Pearson was born in the north-east of Scotland, in Elgin, and is an award-winning Edinburgh-based playwright and screenwriter.
Her work for National Theatre of Scotland includes Darklands written as part of Interference trilogy and Clearing for Scenes for Survival.
Other theatre work includes Let’s Inherit the Earth (Dogstar/Profilteatern); How to Disappear (Traverse) and Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery (Lung Ha/Grid Iron).
She was a recipient of the Meyer-Whitworth Award and her first short film, I Was Here, gained BAFTA Scotland and EIFF nominations for Best Short Film.
Jam trained at Queen Margaret and Edinburgh Napier Universities.
Her theatre credits includes Kidnapped, James IV: Queen of the Fight, Them! (National Theatre of Scotland), Wings Around Dundee, The Snow Queen (Dundee Rep) thick skin, elastic heart (Sonnet Youth and Company Many) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ten Feet Tall Theatre) Silver Superheroes, It Wisnae Me (A Play, A Pie and a Pint).
Her film and television credits include: Scot Squad (BBC Scotland), DASH (BBC Scotland) Molly and Mack (Cbeebies).
She was recently nominated for Best Magical Being in the UK Pantomime Awards 2023 and One to Watch by the Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2019.
Visit www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/dracula for more on Dracula: Mina's Reckoning.
