Itll draw the blood from your veins: Dracula marks spectacular return to stage – Sydney Morning Herald

The ominous mimicking of movement, portrayed by the masters two phantoms (Matthew Edwardson, Oliver Edwardson), added to the in-depth intricacies of each side of the vampire.

Loading

They created a separable physical theatre experience to the main form of dance seen in two principals.

A highlight of Lehmanns performance had to be his sudden shift from a graceful routine to a vicious tango in the matter of seconds, entertaining the conflict between the facetious count and lawyer Jonathan Harker (Oscar Valdes).

The movement tells one story for an audience, but the scenography equally transforms the mind of an audience. WA Ballets creative team truly struck the nail into the coffin by creating one of the most visually enchanting stage sets to date.

The team of Phil R Daniels and Charles Cusick Smith put a hefty amount of time into everything from the detailing of the decrepit stone walls and dark marble pillars of Transylvania to the finer points of the grand ballrooms in London.

At times, it was common to find your eyes imprisoned in the gloomy lair of Dracula, immersing you into the saddened world of the cursed count. It wasnt only the set design which helped this, but the perfectly pieced score of the ballet.

Chihiro Nomura's Lucy Westenra affected by the curse of vampirism. Credit:Bradbury Photography

Performed by the WA Symphony Orchestra and composed by the late Wojciech Kilar, harsh strings fuelled the on-stage violence, juxtaposed with the love story between Dracula and Mina (Carina Roberts).

Taking a leading stride in the performance was best friend turned vampire Lucy Westenra (Chihiro Nomura), creating a varied character with many complexities in movement and expression. Her point routine was also not to be discounted as a climax.

Professor Van Helsing (Adam Alzaim) gave the audience a robust giggle, from the way he developed his odd but charming vampire conspirator. At points his character portrayal was unmatched, letting audiences believe there was no dancer behind the man.

Ultimately, this left his three other aristocratic supporting men on stage, displayed to audiences as too similar in their movement styles and characterisation.

As for the return of this production to the stage, it was beautiful for Perth to experience. It solidifies its place as WA Ballets most innovative original performance. Itll draw the blood from your veins; an unmissable stage spectacular.

See the original post here:
Itll draw the blood from your veins: Dracula marks spectacular return to stage - Sydney Morning Herald

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero