Dracula by Shake & Stir Theatre Co

This production contains high-level simulated violence and gore, mid-level sexual and supernatural themes, and the use of smoke and haze.

Coarse Language
No coarse language

Sexual References
Unwanted sexual interactions are referenced in regard to the vampires’ insatiable lust for human blood. These are points of guilt for one of the characters.

Sexual Content
The production portrays the eroticized and aggressive nature of vampirism, including unwanted interactions and supernatural seduction. Sexual encounters are inferred, either prior or post-staged action.

Violence
The production features intense stage combat, bleeding, and visceral physical assault. Death as a consequence of the vampires’ actions occurs. Action takes place in a Victorian style asylum where restraint is used. One victim of the vampires is a baby, which is portrayed through sound effects and a prop.

Adult Themes
Neglect, abuse & Self-harm: Dracula’s crimes towards his victims are discussed, and seen, including imprisonment, making oneself bleed and drinking blood.

Cultural insensitivity & Sexism
Condescending references toward European travellers and the role of women exist within the source material.

Emotional Content
The entire production remains suspenseful due to the threat of the vampire and their impact. The unexplained supernatural elements in the production may be disturbing to some audiences.

Technical Elements
This production contains the use of smoke effects, strobe lighting and loud music. Several jump scares occur throughout the production. The use of disorienting strobe lighting, theatrical haze, smoke, blackouts and sudden loud sound effects occur. There are small flash fire effects.

CURRICULUM LINKS
Gothic Theatre, Transformation of a classical text, Contemporary Performance

DRAMATIC FORMS & STYLES
Gothic Theatre, Magical Realism, Ensemble Theatre, Contemporary Performance, Physical Theatre, Text transformation

DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS
Hybridity – Gothic, Magical Realism, Physical, Ensemble, Surreal transformations, Symbolic use of props, Song and sound to create atmosphere.

GENERAL CAPABILITIES
Ethical Understanding, Literacy, Critical & Creative Thinking, Personal & Social Capability

DRAMA SUBJECT CONNECTIONS
An ideal example of Gothic Theatre for your students. Through Shake & Stir’s unique approach to storytelling your students will witness the thrill of Gothic Theatre and Magical Realism helping to deepen their understanding and providing an excellent example of how a text can be transformed for the stage. 

ENGLISH SUBJECT CONNECTIONS
A Gothic text which has haunted its audience throughout history, Shake & Stir’s stage adaptation of Dracula will theatrically inspire and deepen students’ understanding of the novel or provide an example of contemporary theatre with no prior knowledge necessary. Students can compare and contrast the text and play, exploring the themes and issues presented, in a masterclass of suspense and Gothic thrills.

Australian Curriculum Links (V9)

Year 10 – English

• AC9E10LA01 - Understand how language can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people
• AC9E10LA02 - Understand that language used to evaluate, implicitly or explicitly reveals an individual’s values
• AC9E10LA07 - Analyse representations of individuals, groups and places and evaluate how they reflect their context in literary texts by world authors
• AC9E10LE02 - Reflect on and extend others’ interpretations of and responses to literature
• AC9E10LE03 - Analyse how the aesthetic qualities associated with text structures, language features, literary devices and visual features, and the context in which these texts are experienced, influence audience response
• AC9E10LE04 - Evaluate the social, moral or ethical positions represented in literature
• AC9E10LE05 - Analyse how text structure, language features, literary devices and intertextual connections shape interpretations of texts
• AC9E10LE06 - Compare and evaluate how “voice” as a literary device is used in different types of texts, such as poetry, novels and film, to evoke emotional responses
• AC9E10LE07 - Analyse and evaluate the aesthetic qualities of texts
• AC9E10LY01 - Analyse and evaluate how people, places, events and concepts are represented in texts and reflect contexts
• AC9E10LY03 - Analyse and evaluate how language features are used to implicitly or explicitly represent values, beliefs and attitudes

Year 9 and 10 – DRAMA

• AC9ADR10E01 - Investigate use of elements of drama, performance skills and/or conventions to communicate and/or challenge ideas, perspectives and/or meaning in drama across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts
• AC9ADR10D01 - Develop performance skills and/or techniques to manipulate elements of drama and/or use conventions to communicate the physical and psychological aspects of roles and characters consistent with intentions
• AC9ADR10D02 - Reflect on their own and others’ drama or practices to refine and inform their use of elements of drama, conventions and/or approaches to shape and sustain dramatic action

Learning Resources are coming soon.