For the first time ever, Dubliners and tourists alike can enjoy a weekend of spine-chilling adventure by taking a tour of Dublin’s gothic past. This three-day festival includes film, exhibitions, plays, literature and performances and you are invited to celebrate Bram Stoker and his legacy of Dracula. What better way to celebrate Halloween than to get first-hand exposure to Dracula’s blood-thirsty exploits?
The weekend will begin with a very special event featuring bestselling US crime author Patricia Cornwell on Friday 26th October at 7.30pm in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin, Stoker’s alma mater. Aptly named The Anatomy of Fear, the acclaimed author will talk about ways in which the serial killer has become, in some sense, a modern-day equivalent of the vampire. By comparing characters, plots and stories of Stoker to her own Scarpetta books, the author will illuminate those dark corners of the human psyche which harbour and nourish our deepest human fears. Tickets are €12 and €10 concession.
Described as “the single most important collection of material related to Bram that has ever been put on public display” by Dacre Stoker, Bram’s great-grand-nephew, the world of Bram Stoker will be documented in a unique exhibition of memorabilia of his life and work between 1847-1912. Showing throughout the festival in the Little Museum of Dublin, Stephen’s Green, it is produced in conjunction with the Bram Stoker Estate and the John Moore Collection and features many rarities including; The earliest inscribed copy of Dracula, Bram’s first published short story – The Crystal Cup, Stoker family artefacts that have never been seen in public and the first Irish translation (1933) of Dracula. Entry tickets €5
Film lovers will be treated to unique experience with an outdoor screening of cult classic Nosferatu : A Not-So-Silent Symphony and Cinema Event in Meeting House Square on Saturday at 8pm. The 1922 adaptation of Stoker’s Dracula will be brought to life with a live score played by acclaimed collective 3epkano. This event is free but pre-booking is advised to avoid disappointment.
Ouroborus Theatre Company will present “Stoker” a newly written play based on the life of Bram Stoker for the festival, examining the man, the myth and the legend at Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College. (Tickets available directly from Samuel Beckett Theatre and website) The Performance Corporation will deliver a new commission from Failte Ireland available for free to festival visitors, an interpretation of a Stoker short story called “The Judges House” in the stunning surroundings of Marsh’s Library where Stoker regularly visited to read.
Other highlights include a literary strand for all ages linking gothic literature to contemporary horror brought to you by two panels in the Trinity Long Room Hub; one specifically tailored with teens in mind and another that targets the more mature audience. Find out to what extent Bram Stoker’s Dracula is responsible for the popularity of the current Vampire motif when an expert panel including moderator Edel Coffey, Anna Carey, Will Hill and Celine Kiernan ponder what’s really at stake. RTÉ’s Diana Bunici will interview author Derek Landy and others on their scariest horror influences in Nightmare at Smock Alley. Join Stoker specials Dr. Jarlath Killeen and Paul Murray along with panellists Ruth Dudley Edwards and distant relative of Stoker himself, Senator David Norris, as they examine the conflicting elements in the nature and sexuality of an extremely complex man Bram Stoker – creator of Dracula.
And finally, families can look forward to a very special evening spectacle performance from award-winning street theatre company, Spraoi, conjuring up the dramatic characters and vivid imaginings of Bram Stoker within the majestic courtyard of Dublin Castle on Sunday evening October 28th.
There are terrible treats to suit all who dare take to the streets on the weekend leading up to Halloween. For further information regarding tickets, times and booking for The Bram Stoker Festival log onto www.bramstokerfestival.com or email info@bramstokerfestival.com
Most events are free, but advance booking is essential.
