Dracula's Guest
"Thanks to James and Ashton for an exceptional evening at the theatre @theatrausirgar with “Dracula’s Guest” I think #national treasure is inevitable @jameshylanduk"
~@richbynamebut
"Wonderful powerful performance of 'Dracula's Guest' last night at the Miners, thoroughly absorbing, I was trance fixed throughout."
~Babs Bush
"A riveting evening in the company of @BrotherWolfUK in “Dracula’s Guest”. Thought provoking and absorbing, another triumph for @JamesHylandUK ably supported by the incredible Ashton Spear."
~@Cdynion
"Brilliant performance last night."
~Rachel Jane de Quant
"It was brilliant."
~Sally Thomas
"A play dark with mockery, aggressiveness, brutality and revenge written with such elegance that it never appeared heavy."
~Maria Weidmann
"An incredible show... From start to finish a truly remarkable adaptation. Powerful, relevant and thought provoking. So much to absorb and reflect upon, every single minute is brimming with consequence one can hardly keep up. The 'dead dance' sequence is spectacular... Hyland and Ashton's performances are both unique and magnificent, I absolutely cannot wait to see the next show."
Rating: ★★★★★
~Zoe Spencer
"Just got home from watching Dracula's Guest at The Blake. Wow, got to say, never seen live acting like it. Unbelievably good! Sooo professional! Looking forward to seeing more plays by you in the future!!"
~Claire Jordain
"Watched the show in Crewe this evening and absolutely enjoyed it. You both were fantastic... I had no idea what it was about before I sat down, I’m ashamed to say. However, I think this made our enjoyment more so. Congratulations and thanks to you both."
~Lee Hurst Van Barnétt
"Invite this vampiric masterpiece into your evening's entertainment."
~@ResultsGin
"It seemed to me that this was remarkable storytelling. Conveyed with such intense power, and with compelling accomplishment. There was no doubting that what we - the audience - saw and heard was true!! All completely true!! And wholesomely disturbing. Marvellous! Such trust between the actors. A Masterclass in the wonder, and in the healing power, of drama... It was a privilege to be there in the upper room of The White Bear. It seemed that the place transformed as the molecules of the air - and of the building - and of our selves - quivered and crackled. The story employed a deeply troubling historical and political light which illuminated the past. Our past. And will echo within the imagination for a long time. The very unwantedness of what we were invited to reflect on - and experience - will cause it to linger. Ashton Spear and James Hyland reminded me again of the life-enhancing importance of playing a part in a story - a drama. The restoration of our Being through acting. Profound truth being conveyed through the blessèd fiction of a story. Amazing. By expressing the story through one’s own self - a self that has not experienced such dread in real life - that Self is somehow healed through the expression of the horror and dread. (You’ll know what I’m trying to say. If I was more knowledgeable, I might want to use the word cathartic). We become washed of our fears through playing and experiencing the fear and dread. Drama as a therapeutic process, I suppose. And, amazingly, not only for the actors, but the audience, too, is invited to step into the less visited parts of their being... I thought they were marvellous as players. As performers. And the power generated between Ashton Spear and James Hyland was formidable... It was overwhelming. With great appreciation."
~Vincent Raven
"Very powerful (and pretty gory!) piece - but well done... intense and well performed"
~Suzanne Hawkes
"Ingenious adaptation. Powerful acting. Lots of tension."
~@SusanElkinJourn
"Witness a truly horrific story performed by James Hyland and Ashton Spear. But be warned!! This is NOT for those of a nervous disposition."
~John Craggs