WHILE reapplying my lipstick in the bathroom mirror, a woman catches my eye and leans in close.
“Was it just me,” she whispers, “or was that kind of shit?”
Last Friday was the opening night of WA Ballet’s highly anticipated Dracula.
And while hot and steamy posters of a shirtless vampire might bait you into buying a ticket, my powder room companion’s unfiltered review ‘kind of’ hit the mark and I left pondering whether the ticket money should have gone towards some precious fuel instead.
Dracula’s story is one of lust, need and want; and his metamorphosis into a blood sucker is where film director Francis Ford Coppola’s interpretation (from which the ballet draws heavily) drills into the audience – Vlad was once one of us. Is there a Vlad in all of us?
Kissing his wife goodbye the good Count rides nobly off into war for for his church, according to the WA ballet fighting hard and bloodily in slow slow SLOOOOW motion – a motif that finds itself (much to my dismay) being repeated over and over again.
Old mate returns from the slow-mo war to discover his wife has been tricked into believing he’s been vanquished, so naturally throws herself off the balcony and dies – a dramatic but plausible end.
WA Ballet seemed to have confused this pivotal scene with a Charlie Chaplin movie, because they inexplicably chose to throw a dummy from a staircase, its ‘flumph’ on the stage below carrying all the dramatic tension of a flopping soufflé.
At least Chaplin would have appreciated the laughs it earned – but seriously?
This one act set the tone for the whole evening. I didn’t realise Dracula was a comedy.
Before writing this review, I checked in to see what other publications were saying.
They spoke of how brilliant and masterful it was. But reviews are meant to be honest.
The only truly brilliant and masterful elements, in my view, were the performances of Nikki Blain and Jesse Homes, who return to their roles from the original 2018 production.
Blain played the dual roles of Dracula’s departed wife Elizabeth, and her modern-day counterpart Mina – the new focus of Dracula’s obsession.
Blain brought a tragically vulnerable and emotional quality to her performance.
She is not only a captivating dancer but an outstanding actor – and acting is not something all dancers can do.
You could truly feel her pain and grief, the full spectrum of emotion reaching all the way to the back of the audience.
Her technique is impeccable and it’s shocking that she is listed as one of the company’s soloists, and not a principal, given the star quality she brings.
Also dancing heads and shoulders above the rest of the cast was Homes who played Dracula’s insane servant Renfield.
He was hypnotising and alluring and fascinating to watch. I wish we saw more of him.
I think credit for Blain and Homes’ success falls to their acting abilities and understanding and commitment to their characters, because I didn’t feel Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography gave them much to work with.
It left me feeling like the dancers had more to give, and that at times I was watching a ballet school performance instead of the state’s premiere company.
Pastor delivers striking pas de deux which showcase precision and care, the intricate detail evident in the partnering and phrasing.
However some of the ensemble sections – particularly those relying on canon and slow-motion sequences –felt less convincing, coming across as a stylistic shortcut rather than a fully realised choreographic choice.
Ultimately I feel the choreography could’ve been more impressive and that Dracula himself could have been far scarier.
However, if you do decide to go look out for Blain and Homes.
2.5 chooks out of 5
by ISLA TOMLINSON