Plexus Polaire Brings Creepy Puppet Dracula to Edinburgh Fringe

The Edinburgh Fringe festival will feature a new puppet production of "Dracula: Lucy's Dream" by French-Norwegian company Plexus Polaire. Directed by Yngvild Aspeli, the show offers a distinctly creepy and interpretive take on the classic vampire, moving beyond traditional portrayals like Max Schreck's Nosferatu or Bela Lugosi.

Aspeli's production aims to capture the essence of Dracula as a figure who predates Bram Stoker's novel, drawing on older vampire lore. The show's technical sophistication, particularly the seamless integration of actors and lifelike puppets, creates a disorienting and memorable experience for the audience. Lighting designer Emilie Nguyen's work contributes to the spectral atmosphere, enabling stunning transformations where the distinction between human and puppet blurs.

One audience member described the puppet Dracula as "indelible" and matching Jonathan Harker's description of the count as having an "extraordinary pallor." The reviewer recounted witnessing the puppet seemingly disintegrate and reappear, a testament to the advanced puppetry techniques employed by Plexus Polaire. The show is noted as being "definitely not for small children" due to its unsettling nature.