Bram Stoker's Dracula - Audible Review

For centuries, Dracula has evaded capture. Enter Mina Harker.

Audible presents Dracula, a brand-new, full-cast adaptation of Bram Stoker's masterpiece starring Ella Purnell, Jonathan Bailey, Aimee Lou Wood, Louis Partridge, David Jonsson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

When her fiancé vanishes in Transylvania, Mina pieces together letters, diary entries and chilling testimony to hunt the predator stalking those she loves: only to discover he's already hunting her. Dracula lurks in shadow, slips into dreams, and casts no reflection. To nearly all, he defies detection: beyond what the eye can see, and what the mind can comprehend. When her closest friend Lucy succumbs to his thrall, the enigmatic Professor Van Helsing is summoned to wage war on this unfathomable threat. But it is Mina, her intellect, her resolve, her gift for drawing the unseen lines between clues, who holds the key to stopping this ancient killer. If he hasn't already found his way inside her mind…

Starring Ella Purnell (Fallout) as Mina, Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) as Dracula, Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes) as Jonathan, David Jonsson (Industry) as Dr Seward, Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) as Lucy, Johnny Flynn (Emma) as Renfield, Lesley Manville (The Phantom Thread) as Mrs. Westenra, and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) as Professor Van Helsing, this is Bram Stoker's groundbreaking epistolary novel, given a new lease of life.

Directed by Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary) featuring an original score by Ilan Eshkeri (Audible's 1984, House of Guinness) and with full sound design, Audible's Dracula invites you to feel the terror of being hunted. And the thrill of the hunt.

Note: this adaptation contains scenes that some may find uncomfortable. Listener discretion is advised.

Having only a vague idea of Dracula going into this, it quickly became apparent that Audible’s new audio drama takes a few creative liberties with Bram Stoker’s classic. Adapted by Robyn Ahern, it retains the key plot points while giving the story a distinctly feminist spin, placing Mina Harker firmly at the centre as the protagonist driving the narrative. I found this an interesting approach, as it gives the story a slightly different perspective while still keeping the familiar elements that make it such an enduring gothic tale.

The cast is certainly impressive, with Jonathan Bailey as Dracula, Ella Purnell as Mina Harker, Aimee Lou Wood as Lucy Westenra, Louis Partridge as Jonathan Harker, David Jonsson as Dr Seward, Johnny Flynn as Renfield, Lesley Manville as Mrs Westenra, Francis Lovehall as Arthur Holmwood, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Professor Van Helsing. It’s a strong line-up of actors, and the performances really help bring the characters and story to life. The audio drama format works particularly well for a story like this, allowing the atmosphere and tension to build as the narrative unfolds.

The biggest departure from the original, of course, is the gender-swapping of Van Helsing. On reflection, I didn’t dislike the concept itself; I actually think reimagining the professor as a woman could have been a really interesting choice. However, I’m not entirely convinced Maggie Gyllenhaal was the right fit for the role. Personally, I would have loved to hear Ruth Wilson, Keira Knightley or Hayley Atwell take on a female interpretation of the iconic professor. I think any of them could have brought a wonderfully commanding presence to the character, and I would have been interested to see how they approached the role.

That said, I did enjoy the overall production. It’s dark, creepy and atmospheric, with some genuinely strong performances from a very talented cast. There’s a real sense of unease running through the story, which suits the gothic horror setting, and the audio format helps draw you into the world without needing to rely on visuals. I also appreciated that this adaptation wasn’t simply trying to recreate the original story, but instead offered a slightly different take on some of its characters and themes.

Although not every creative choice worked for me, I can appreciate what the adaptation was trying to do. Reworking such a well-known story is always going to divide opinion, particularly when it comes to changing established characters, but I think there’s room for different interpretations of a classic like Dracula.

Overall, this is an interesting reimagining of a familiar gothic tale and definitely worth a listen, particularly if you enjoy your classic horror with a fresh perspective. The performances are stellar, the atmosphere is suitably dark and creepy, and the feminist spin gives the story a different angle. Despite my reservations about the casting of Van Helsing, I found it an enjoyable and immersive production that’s worth checking out.

My rating for the full-cast audiobook of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Elysian Nightfall Studios – ★★★★.