Draculess – An Investigation into the portrayal of female characters from gothic novels as adapted performance, with specific reference to Mina Harker. / Pavlina Kratochvilova (2021)

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the portrayal and characterisation of the character Mina Harker (Murray) within Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (1897) and compare it to the interpretation of Syria James’s contemporary novel Dracula, My Love (2010), which acts as a response and secret confession of the main heroine within the same narrative. An original text was written as an integral part of the live performance for the Graduate Showcase (Laban Theatre, July 2021) and has been inspired by both of these literary pieces and acts as a creative response to them.

Stoker’s novel is one of the most famous pieces of gothic English Literature, having been adapted in numerous film and stage adaptions in the years since, making many of his characters archetypical versions of themselves. Mina Harker, however, only seems to have a puppet-like portrayal. In the numerous interpretations of the work, the portrayal of a Victorian woman remains largely consistent in terms of its limited view of female expression of self and repressed sexual identity. The aim of this work is to highlight the emancipation of this main female character and to reimagine her presentation. It will compare her transformation in Syria James’ novel, where Mina receives, for the first time, a distinctive voice and full-bodied characterisation enlightened through a contemporary take on the view of women and the traditional female role within nineteenth-century society.

The practical performance and additional video presentation draw upon the differing portrayals of character informed by contrasting historical and societal contexts, culminating in a final response and presentation of findings.