| REVIEWS |
| DAVID Mynne is a master at his craft, and his craft is acting. That craft includes all aspects of acting, including verse-speaking, singing, whistling, mime, oral sound effects, character playing, accents, physical representation, dramatic interpretation and countless other skills, all brought together to tell a tale familiar to most of the audience, in a style which has brought true drama and emotion to audiences for thousands of years. We may have been sitting in a drama studio in Gillingham, but we could just as well have been in an Anglo Saxon roundhouse hearing the tale of Beowulf, a Victorian theatre with Charles Dickens recreating his characters before us, or for those of us fortunate enough to have experienced it, at Hackney Empire in the 1990s for Steven Berkoff’s retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell Tale Heart, with its beating heart represented by a constantly opening and closing fist. Mynne is a founder member of that great company Kneehigh Theatre, and it is only thanks to funding by local arts bodies such as Artsreach that people in rural areas can experience something that would usually only be seen at Edinburgh, or just off London’s West End or Broadway. The tale of Dracula has been developed to an extreme, from the Christopher Lee Hammer films to all the Hollywood interpretations, and of course the recent spate of teenage vampire books and their film adaptations, most famously the Twilight franchise. It is so refreshing then to hear the story anew, with many of the words from Stoker’s novel forming part of the dramatisation, as Mynne switches seemlessly from narrator to character, and across many characters, from tiny cameos such as the Transylvanian landlady, through a chorus of undead wives, hero, heroine, psychiatrist, ship’s captain, the extremely Dutch Van Helsing, six nuns (count them!) and of course the magnificent Count himself, with a haunting, breathy, Eastern European accent. Along the way we are also treated to appropriate whistled tunes, the howling of wolves, props that are always ready, cut-out bats and a ship, and the surge of the sea rushing in and out like deep breathing. These magical effects are all produced vocally, in real time, with no recording or electronic trickery, and every part of the simple but oh so accurately positioned and focused lighting is controlled by the actor, who is even bold enough to step completely out of his role once or twice, as he realises the innuendo in a particular scene involving a group of nuns and gives a barely mumbled aside of “comedy gold” as he reveals his giant bat. This was a wonderful couple of hours of complete escape from everyday life, as we were taken on the scary journey from Transylvania to Whitby, and once there to the Asylum, the cliff top, and the mysterious Carfax Abbey, all peopled by a cast of many, many individually memorable characters, all played, controlled, lit and accompanied by that one, very talented Mr David Mynne. The show is at Ibberton and Broadmayne at the end of the week, and then off to Cumbria, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, among other places, and if you hear of this incredible man going anywhere near you or any of your friends, I urge you to see it – you will be thoroughly entertained and delighted. |
| MAB The Fine Time Recorder |
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| The best compliment you can pay to this one man performance of Dracula is that it never feels like a one man show. The whole story is here, delightfully played, with a few welcome twists along the way and a newly crafted haunting ending that fits perfectly. The red lights that bathe the Council Chamber studio dim to near darkness. There is the sound of footsteps and the last minute rustling of the audience stills. Someone is in the room moving very slowly from behind the audience to the stage area, or maybe it’s more something, as a white bald head atop a long, black frock coat become discernable as it takes to the stage. Dracula opens with high Gothic chills, then immediately pokes fun at itself as a black bat cut-out on a stick flies past. The tone is set for the evening. Dracula is a familiar tale. Even if you don’t know Stoker’s novel, you’ll know Christopher Lee as Dracula, or Gary Oldman as Dracula or countless other film, novel and graphic novel versions, variations, prequels, sequels, adaptations and appropriations of the most famous vampire story ever told. So, there’s quite a challenge when approaching the text, as any intelligent adaptation must deal not only with the source material from Stoker, but also with the multitude of other images and associations and muddles of plots that are conjured in everyone’s mind by the title. Andrew McPherson pulls it off admirably. He strips out characters, conflates others and streamlines the narrative in plausible ways that help speed the story along. The chosen form of representation, a one man show, may also be a prime driver here to keeping to a manageable number of people in any one scene. McPherson pushes this as far as it will go, but never creates confusion, which is a considerable achievement. As we move through the story, his adaptation begins to move away from the novel narratively, but its inventions never feel out of place. David Mynne is Dracula, as well as everybody else. It’s a great performance from a master story-teller who can really captivate an audience. Each characterisation is precisely marked and executed. The miming of props and movement through locations is always clear and fluid – praise here to Simon Harvey’s direction – and Mynne verbalises a whole raft of sound effects from staking vampires, to raging storms to doors creaking open. The use of puppets and finger puppetry is successful, chilling one moment and comic the next. He may have lost a little energy at points and perhaps some of the humour wasn’t as sharp as it could’ve been, but his gnarled handed, strangely spoken Dracula is as good as any. The best compliment you can pay to this one man performance of Dracula is that it never feels like a one man show. The whole story is here, delightfully played, with a few welcome twists along the way and a newly crafted haunting ending that fits perfectly. |
| Stephen M Hornby, The Reviews Hub |
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| It must be difficult to hold an audience in the palm of your hand, enticing them into your supernatural world, hypnotising them to make them hang on to your every word and then to break the spell by making them laugh. David managed it and he cast his spell on us. Presented as part of Derbyshire's Live & Local which supports rural and community touring productions in various venues throughout the county. David Mynne, who was a leading light in setting up Kneehigh Theatre in Cornwall, formed Rabbit Theatre and is touring his version of the story of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". This is theatre with a difference; a one man show of story-telling with sound effects and light, and a whole lot of batty comedy. The stage was only just lit, creating that certain mid light eeriness, setting the atmosphere beautifully. David appeared from the rear of the stage shadows and started to relate the story of Dracula. he operated all of the lights and did all of the sound effects himself, as well as operating the props. Stripped back theatre can sometimes be the most evocative. Leaving it simple and uncluttered makes you focus more on the actor and the words and David is a wonderful story-teller. he painted pictures in your head, playing every character himself, balancing the legend and myth of the infamous fanged blood-sucker with an original line in comedy. The attraction was obvious as the audience couldn't take their eyes from David, who became even more eerie when the red spotlight created a spooky bloody-hued face of David, who became Dracula, and then as quick reverted back to Van Helsing the vampire hunter or the doctor, Mina or any one of the several characters he introduced within the story, eventually leaving us with the "to be continued....." cliffhanger. A brilliant night of comedy and chills, or was that just the air conditioning, I'm not sure. It must be difficult to hold an audience in the palm of your hand, enticing them into your supernatural world, hypnotising them to make them hang on to your every word and then to break the spell by making them laugh. Difficult as I imagine this was, David managed it and he cast his spell on us. |
| Kev Castle, Theatre Reviews |
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| This ‘Dracula’ is one of the best I have seen because it excels at what Dracula does best – it conjures up the audience’s imagination and then plays with it mercilessly; and in this instance, hilariously. And bearing in mind it’s all done by one man with just half a dozen blood-red and moon-glow lights and a handful of home-made props, it is quite brilliant. Having been lumbered with the birth name ‘Christopher Lee’, I’ve had a life long relationship with Dracula. Actually I owe him a favour. Because he was regularly played by the actor that shared my name, an astrologer friend of mine recommended I include my middle moniker for professional purposes. I’m convinced it was that advice that gave me a foothold on the bottom rung of the BBC – a position I have managed to maintain ever since. Still, I suppose it could have been worse. I could have been christened James Bond. This ‘Dracula’ is one of the best I have seen because it excels at what Dracula does best – it conjures up the audience’s imagination and then plays with it mercilessly; and in this instance, hilariously. And bearing in mind it’s all done by one man with just half a dozen blood-red and moon-glow lights and a handful of home-made props, it is quite brilliant. The one man is David Mynne, a veteran founder of the ground breaking Kneehigh Theatre Company. He walks a swaying tightrope between horror and humour - and the gruesome and the ridiculous - with just a lifetime’s acting experience as his balancing bar. His most complicated prop is the ‘Three Brides of Dracula’; three undead Barbie Dolls on a skewer. Everybody else, he plays himself; having great fun with pocket characterisations of fated woman and sterling men. His bespectacled Van Helsing is a hoot... lisping his way through his lines; for example, “it wash love at firsht shite”. But, radio fans, it is the remarkable sound effects that steal this show... all made by Mr Mynne with his very own mouth. The bats are easy: “flap, flap, squeek, flap, flap”. But he also creates an entire shaving routine and a complicated blood transfusion using just his bare hands and an array of fearsome vocal effects that might interest the makers of Dr Who. And having buffed up our imaginations, he then conducts a whole scene using just the shadow of his finger tips before an illuminated globe…and the whole of Snailbeach saw exactly what he was getting at. This is a sensationally simple show. Forget CGI. It’s a faithful telling of the whole, gory story with unbounded ingenuity, magical mimicry and wicked wit; an absolute treat which had the whole audience on its feet, baying for more. |
| Chris Eldon Lee, Shropshire Events |
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| David Mynne left his audience mesmerised as he transformed from character to character in this one-man-show of Dracula. By using self-made sound effects, a handful of props, and minimal self-operated lighting, David Mynne was able to effectively absorb the crowd and reignite imaginations. It was Friday 13th and the evening chill had already begun to pierce through the fresh optimism that accompanied early spring. Although unusually cool, the traditional associations of the date clearly failed to tarnish the bizarre yet extraordinary adventure that lay ahead... When I arrived at the quaint village hall in Pailton, Warwickshire, the room was nearing full and bustling with neighbours and locals from the surrounding villages. The ceiling was decorated with playful paper bats and larger versions, dubbed 'bog bats', graced the lavatory doors. Remarkably, this decor captured the essence of the forthcoming performance perfectly. Actor David Mynne, (Rabbit Theatre), left his audience mesmerised as he transformed from character to character in this one-man-show of Dracula. By using self-made sound effects, a handful of props, and minimal self-operated lighting, David Mynne was able to effectively absorb the crowd and reignite imaginations. In today's technology driven, CGI smitten world, it's not surprising that ones imagination might be mistaken as an archaic form of entertainment, but ultimately, the ability to imagine is a gift that should be cherished, nurtured and exercised frequently. How ironic to think our imaginations create all that causes it to dampen. How refreshing to be revitalised on a Friday night in Pailton by a storyteller with a twist. This event was bought to Pailton village hall with thanks to Live & Local. |
| By Kate E Hodge : kateehodge.com |
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| It's a terrific show, charming, funny, beautifully told, and suitably scary. Stoker's gothic novel has been perfectly pared down... Mynne's performance is exquisite: a masterclass in the telling of tales, it needs to be seen. A one-man Dracula could have been a recipe for disaster, but this is no ordinary one man. Fresh from their scintillating solo Great Expectations, Rabbit Theatre and Dave Mynne have returned with more masterful storytelling, in a captivating show. Mynne's performance is excellent: truly absorbing, and seamlessly flitting between his expertly crafted characters. It would be easy to stray into caricatures, but Mynne resists this at every turn, with even his aggressively Dutch Van Helsing steadily becoming more real as the action turned darker. His Dracula is particularly unnerving; still, stoic, and with disconcertingly empty eyes. The result, skillfully uplit, playing with shadows across his face, is utterly chilling, but steers clear of the standard portrayal of Dracula: it's as real as the living-dead might ever be. With only lights, a small raised platform, and a table on stage, the result is pure, stripped-back theatre. Rabbit have made something very special, with Mynne expertly directed by Simon Harvey. The staging is exquisitely simple, the extra level helping define the space throughout, whether an upstairs, carriage, or wall to be leapt over. Our story flies along, each moment is refined and calculated, not dragging for a second, and it is impossible not to be enraptured by the world that Harvey and Mynne, with the aid of delightfully simple props, have created. The first half rockets by, and the interval brought with it an important discussion about a Romeo and Juliet teapot, that caused distraction and giggling in those around me. But the moment the second half was underway, it demanded attention, instantly sweeping us back into the story. Mynne's ever flexible voicebox provides sound effects across the piece, with act two opening to a chilling wind, which many of the audience contributed to. The half sees Mynne constantly shifting between characters, but he never lets the momentum or narrative suffer, driving the story along. It's marvellous, captivating storytelling, and perfectly paced. When the experience is so engrossing, the only moments that took us away from this rich, vivid world were when Mynne was required to undertake technical responsibilities and change the on-stage lighting. The states he shifted to and from were neatly designed, but seeing the process just took us out of the action. If a seamless solution could be found, it would add to the undeniable magic on stage. It's a terrific show, charming, funny, beautifully told, and suitably scary. Stoker's gothic novel has been perfectly pared down by writer Andrew McPherson, sharply directed by Simon Harvey, and Mynne's performance is exquisite: a masterclass in the telling of tales, it needs to be seen. |
| Ciaran Clarke: Arts End of Nowhere |
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| Historically, dramatic storytelling was something which pulled communities together and was the original form of theatre. It was refreshing to see storytelling reborn in this way and I think it is something that really inspires a small intimate audience. The common misconception is that incredible theatre needs to be about amazing costumes, a cast of many and a set that could rival the most incredible film scenery. After spending the evening watching one man's performance of Bram Stoker's Dracula, I can safely say that amazing theatre is simply about stripping everything down and focussing on important thing; the story. In a very unique and unconventional performance, David Mynne transformed himself from Dracula, to Jonathan Harker, from Mina to Lucy and from Mina's father to Doctor Van Helsing, using nothing but clever lighting and several basic props. His own voice provided the sound effects, from flapping bats, to whistling wind and one costume was enough to set the scene for the show. Historically, dramatic storytelling was something which pulled communities together and was the original form of theatre. It was refreshing to see storytelling reborn in this way and I think it is something that really inspires a small intimate audience. Marnhull Village Hall where we spent the evening with Dracula was adorned with small candlelit tables, complete with nibbles and wine, which seemed the perfect setting for this almost old fashioned parlour evening of entertainment. David Mynne certainly should be congratulated on his sincere and often amusing presentation and I will definitely be waiting on tenterhooks to see what theatrical genius he comes up with next. |
| Becky Bye: domoremag.com |
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| ...this was a dramatic masterclass and he was magnificent. Not to be missed, you'll be sorry if you do. AS BRILLIANT as it is batty, this production is a triumph for all concerned. Who else would even dream of bringing us a piece of theatre centred around blood in which not a drop of it is seen to be spilled, other than the team from Rabbit Theatre who gave us the award-winning Great Expectations? Directed by Simon Harvey, adapted by Andrew McPherson from Bram Stoker's novel published in 1897, and performed by David Mynne, who comes up with a solo performance best described as a tour de force, it is completely compelling. A sell-out at the Acorn, from the howling of the wolves to the music made by the children of the night, noises matched only by the enthusiastic and deserved ovation Penwith-based actor and founder member of Kneehigh Theatre, David Mynne received at the final curtain, despite his "badly battered body" or perhaps because of it, he held his huge audience transfixed, as if impaled by one of the anti-vampire stakes that finally did for Count Dracula. From his devouring of flies to his entrance of the tiny tombs, from his doubling and trebling of characters, from Dracula himself to Jonathan Harker and his fiancee Mina, her friend Lucy to Dr Seward and Professor Van Helsing, to his multiplicity of sound effects, not forgetting his finger ballet in the light of the moon, all but a show stopper, this was a dramatic masterclass and he was magnificent. Not to be missed, you'll be sorry if you do. |
| Frank Ruhrmund: The Cornishman |
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Grampound village hall was packed to the rafters for the opening night of Rabbit Theatre's Dracula. Wildly eccentric, totally bonkers and saucily scary, David Mynne's magnificent one-man performance is flawless. Brilliantly directed by Simon Harvey, Dracula will thrill audiences of all ages. Add this show to your bucket list for 2015.
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| Sheila Vanloo: Radio St Austell Bay |
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Excellent performance – had the audience laughing and spellbound in equal measure.
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| Rural Touring Promoter |
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The show was one of the best we have seen from VIA and how one performer could play multiple parts, with limited props and their own sound effects, was amazing.
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| Rural Touring Promoter |
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Dave was fantastic, I am already looking forward to seeing what he does next – brilliant!
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Great use of small space. Every prop used in the story telling took on a purpose and meaning for the audience, David's comic timing is outstanding. Each of his many characters was quickly established for us by an object, change in physicality or imagined place. David carried us with him every step of the way. Nothing needed to be explained, through his versatility as a performer we were moved swiftly from Dracula's castle, to night to day and back again in a matter of moments.
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During the second half as I was pondering where one of the characters from the first half had disappeared to, boom, back he came exactly where Dracula had left him, falling from the castle window. Every element of the play had been well written, planned, rehearsed and shared with generosity. The whole show was truly entertaining, really funny and performed with great skill. I think I can safely say we, the audience felt very secure in the presence of Mr. Mynne and happy to have popped along to the show.
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It was a BRILLIANT show, we all really enjoyed it, such wonderful value as well, we are all looking forward to his next performance!
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Thank you for yet another superb evening of entertainment, this man is so thorough in his work, he is totally absorbed in the role/roles he is playing. Please let us know when you have another evening through VIA
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A riveting creation performed by the inimitable David Mynne. His shows are always completely original because his understanding of theatre is so wise.
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