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The Gothic Imagination on Radio 4.

Meet some of the prinicipal characters from Dracula and Frankenstein, and the actors who play them.

Dracula: Count Dracula

(Described by Jonathan in an unsent letter to Mina)Ìý

'His face was a strong, a very strong, aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. His eyebrows were very massive, almost meeting over the nose, and with bushy hair that seemed to curl in its own profusion. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth. These protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale, and at the tops extremely pointed. The chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm though thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor.

Hitherto I had noticed the backs of his hands as they lay on his knees in the firelight, and they had seemed rather white and fine. But seeing them now close to me, I could not but notice that they were rather coarse, broad, with squat fingers. Strange to say, there were hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder. It may have been that his breath was rank, but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal.'

• Count Dracula is played by Nicky Henson
• Nicky Henson was one of the founding members of the Young Vic theatre company. Nicky has worked extensively in Film, TV and theatre in the West End, for the RSC and National Theatre. He played Gary in the original production of Noises Off, and is probably best remembered in the popular imagination for one phrase ‘Pretentious, moi?’ in Fawlty Towers. He has appeared in many radio productions, most recently as the charismatic Goat Lord in Radio 4’s popular series Pilgrim.

Dracula: Dr Seward

(Described by Lucy in a letter to Mina)Ìý

'We met some time ago a man that would just do for you, if you were not already engaged to Jonathan. He is an excellent parti, being handsome, well off, and of good birth. He is a doctor and really clever. Just fancy! He is only nine-and twenty, and he has an immense lunatic asylum all under his own care. Mr. Holmwood introduced him to me, and he called here to see us, and often comes now. I think he is one of the most resolute men I ever saw, and yet the most calm. He seems absolutely imperturbable. I can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patients. He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one's thoughts. He tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crack. I know that from my glass.

Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it.

He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I do.'

• Dr Seward is played by Charles Edwards.
• Charles Edwards’ recent work includes playing Michael Palin in the ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV’s Holy Flying Circus about Monty Python and in theatre as Benedict in Much Ado about Nothing for The Globe Theatre and as Bertie in the touring stage version of The King’s Speech.

Dracula: Van Helsing

(Described by Seward in a letter to Arthur Holmwood)Ìý

'He is a seemingly arbitrary man, this is because he knows what he is talking about better than anyone else. He is a philosopher and a metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day, and he has, I believe, an absolutely open mind. This, with an iron nerve, a temper of the ice-brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for mankind, work both in theory and practice, for his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy.'

• Van Helsing is played by John Dougall
• John Dougall’s recent theatre work includes playing MacDuff at the Sheffield Crucible, working on several productions with Propeller Theatre Company and as Thomas Cromwell in Anne Boleyn at The Globe. John has appeared in many radio productions and has been a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Drama company.

Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein

Brought up by loving parents on the shores of Lake Geneva, Victor has a happy childhood, surrounded by the love of his parents and his foster sister, Elizabeth, and entertained and supported by the friendship of Henri Clerval. He is a highly intelligent, proud young man, devoted to his family and fascinated by science. But when his mother dies of scarlet fever, Victor’s character darkens. He declares himself determined to find ‘the elixir of life’. He attends the University of Ingolstadt where, under the guidance of his mentor Professor Waldman, he throws himself into the study of chemistry and the natural sciences. His obsessive nature, however, drives him into areas of research that should, perhaps, not be explored and he becomes fixated on the idea that he can conquer death by creating life in his laboratory. His experiments become an end to themselves and he pursues his plans to create new life without thought for the moral responsibility such a thing might involve. He builds a creature from the bones and tissues of dead bodies, convinced that he is on the verge of creating a new race of beautiful, superior human beings. But when he brings his creature to life he is appalled by what he has done. His creature is deformed, hideous, terrifying and he rejects it, running from his laboratory in horror. All Victor’s subsequent loss and pain stems from this heart-breaking moment.

• Victor Frankenstein is played by Jamie Parker.
• Jamie Parker trained at RADA before joining the cast of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys on stage in London and on its Global Tour. He has appeared in several productions at Shakespeare’s Globe: as Oliver in As You Like It, as Prince Hal in Henry IV Part 1 and 2 and most recently in the title role of the Globe’s critically acclaimed production of Henry V. Jamie recently appeared in ´óÏó´«Ã½ 2’s Parade’s End and he is currently playing Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the West Yorkshire Playhouse..

Frankenstein: The Monster

Eight foot tall, made from body parts stolen from graves, the Monster draws his first painful breath on a blood-stained table in a foetid laboratory. He is not, at first, even aware that he is alive. Opening his eyes, he turns to the only other being present and calls out like a child, for comfort, for love. But his creator runs from him. Even in his first moments of existence, the Monster recognises the horror he provokes in others. Alone, he stumbles out into the world, where he is continually spurned, beaten, driven from human society. He takes refuge in the forest. Here, he begins to learn. Hiding in the outhouse of a small farm, he observes a brother and sister and their blind father and, seeing the love and care they have for one another, he becomes devoted to them. In secret, he helps them – cutting wood, clearing snow. Gradually, his intelligence develops and he comes to understand human speech and to learn to read. Finally, when the children are away and desperate for human contact, he plucks up enough courage to approach the old man. But the brother and sister return unexpectedly and drive him away. Rejected again – rejected by those he has come to love – his gentle nature turns to spite and he vows vengeance on mankind. But the principal object of his hatred is the man who created him. When he left his ‘place of origin’ he took with him Frankenstein’s notebook and this, his book of genesis, leads him to Geneva and a fateful meeting with his maker.

• The Monster is played by Shaun Dooley.
• Shaun Dooley was born in Barnsley and trained in Manchester. He has worked extensively on TV with roles in ITV’s Married Single Other, ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Five Days and The Street and more recently, in Great Expectations. Shaun has been a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Drama company and has appeared in numerous radio productions, most recently as Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd.

Frankenstein: Robert Walton

Captain Walton is an explorer and scientist. His quest for understanding has taken him to sea on an expedition to ‘chart the unknown regions’. As they travel towards the Polar north and their voyage becomes more perilous, Walton and his crew are amazed and terrified to see the dark figure of an enormous man passing swiftly across the ice. Walton would like to dismiss this sighting as a trick of the light but the following night his crew sight another man, motionless in a sledge surrounded by dead dogs, drifting towards their ship out of the dark on an ice sheet. The man is Victor Frankenstein. He is close to death. Walton has him brought aboard and cares for him. In the warmth of his cabin, Walton gradually hears Frankenstein’s harrowing story and how he comes to be chasing ‘a demon – one who fled from me’ and he begins to understand that the quest for knowledge must be tempered by moral conscience and care for others.

• Robert Walton is played by Alun Raglan.
• Alun Raglan is a singer, a stand-up comedian and an actor. His recent work includes playing opposite Minnie Driver in the film Hunky Dory, appearing at The Lowry theatre in Salford and playing Mark Anthony in Anthony & Cleopatra and Julius Caesar for The Tobacco Factory. Alun Raglan has appeared in many radio productions and been a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Drama Company. He is the lead singer of the Cardiff based band, The Spoilers.