Written by: Farheen Abdullah
Posted on: May 16, 2018 | 
| 中文
The dance capturing the extravagance of the castle
Originally written by the Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897, Dracula is a novel which has been assigned many literary genres, including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel, and invasion literature. Narrating the tale of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing, the novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film, and television interpretations over the years. The most recent theatrical performance was held at the Arts Council in Karachi from 10th to 13th May.
Directed by Mahnoor Zaidi and Saihaam Khan, the performance was by Happy Owl Productions, whose vision is to revive art in Pakistan through the mediums of theatre and film. In particular through theatre, they intend to keep the colourful and dynamic persona of Karachi alive, since the art form is gradually becoming an anomaly in today’s digital world.
While it was already exciting enough to be witnessing an internationally popular horror story on local stage, the fact that it was a musical performance further enhanced the experience. Featuring multiple songs, with live vocals and piano, the play was a wonderful treat. Though live musical performances leave little room for error or improvisation, the musicians proved that they had complete command over their instruments and never missed a beat. The vocals were also in perfect sync with the music. Not only the musicians, but the cast also seemed well-suited for their roles, and their confidence showed that they had been rehearsing thoroughly. Back to back shows can easily result in exhaustion and monotony for the cast, but their energy levels seemed to match audience enthusiasm at all times.
A contention some may have, is that microphones were used, which are typically not a part of stage performances. However, these helped the audience grasp the characters’ emotions and appreciate the efforts of the actors, since details such as heavy breathing and non-verbal cues were effectively conveyed. The actors’ voice throw was also commendable, with their vocals easily rising above the musical chords, even in moments of intense violence and chaos they did not allow one to substitute the other.
The acting of the cast was praiseworthy, with Shah Fahad (Harker) standing out. Not only did Fahad have complete control over his dialogue delivery, but he brilliantly displayed a wide range of emotions. Jahan Ara as Mina and Natalia Rashid as Lucy, did justice to their characters as well. However, the most fascinating character had to be Creature (Hassan Raza), who had the audience’s attention from the moment he entered, in spite of his gruesome makeup. Not only did the make-up team do a great job with his prosthetic appearance, but Hassan Raza’s tone and energy ensured that all eyes were fixed on Creature.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the play was that it used a single set, designed in detail and subtly showing two different cities. The castle in Transylvania was hidden behind a curtain in the background, while two chairs and a table denoted England in the front. The set designer had also paid great attention to detail, with objects including candles, stairs, furniture, and the aluminium castle itself. Transitions were swiftly made when two different cities needed to be shown. However, when two different rooms within the same city had to be shown, the transition wasn’t quite as smooth, and basic details like doors were missing. Another drawback of the set was the presence of a digital screen, which took away the illusion that the viewers had been transported to Transylvania and left no room for imagination.
Ironically, for a play revolving around violence, Dracula lacked blood. While the scenes took their time to build up the intensity, the dramatic moments themselves fell short due to the absence of blood and gore. With so many deaths on stage, the team failed to use blood either implicitly or explicitly.
Like every stage performance, Dracula had its strengths and weaknesses, but the team needs to be recognized for the amount of effort they put into creating a unique show, and for allowing local audiences to enjoy an international concept.
All images provided by Happy Owl Productions.
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