The talented cast of ‘Dracula’! 

‘Dracula’ is an 1897 gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so he may find new blood and spread the undead curse and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

Dracula will come to life once again as a collective put in by Ananda College Drama and will feature the performances of Eraj Gunawardena as Jonathan Harker, Nandun Dissanayake as Count Dracula, Dinoo Wickramage as Mina, Vishan Gunawardena as Professor Van Helsing and Charith Dissanayake as Dr. John Seward.

In a casual interview with the Daily Mirror Life, these talented young buds spoke about their roles, past experiences and their bond with drama.

Nishantha De Silva

Rajitha Hettiarachchi (left) and Vishan Gunawardena (right)

Give us an introduction about you.

Eraj : I started drama when I was in school and have been involved in many productions. I have worked with Jehan Aloysius, Jerome De Silva, Ruwan De Chickera and Jith Pieris.

Vishan : I work as a costume designer for plays and have worked with producers such as Pusswedilla and Feroze Kamardeen.

Nandun : I have been  involved with many productions including Alice in Wonderland, Kenzuke’s Kingdom, Grease Yaka and another production of Jith.

Charith : I started drama when I was in school. I have been involved with productions such as Kenzuke’s Kingdom, 50 Shades of Jaraa and also with productions of Jayampathy Guruge and Ruwan De Chickera.

Dinoo : I am still an undergraduate at the University of Colombo and have been involved with drama for a while. I have been acting in both Sinhala and English drama and in productions such as Dead Man’s Cellphone. I also co-direct plays and have helped in directing drama comp and other plays. Back in school I was used to doing many male characters such as Rasputin and Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Nandun Dissanayake (left) and Charith Dissanayake (right)

How do you interpret your role?

Eraj : I play the role of Jonathan Harker. The play revolves around Mina but I go to Transylvania to provide legal support for a real estate transaction overseen by Harker's employer. In the meantime Dracula comes to London to prey on Mina. Although we have one base character we have many transitions. I play the roles of Lucy, Lucy’s mother, Ranjeet from India, a grave digger and up to 9 characters.

Vishan : I am Professor Van Helsing, the guy who comes in to fix. I’m mostly trying to kill Dracula but at the same time I’m clueless about whether it is something to do with him. I play another 10-12 characters and the most challenging part about these transitions is the different accents that are followed.

Nandun : I am Count Dracula, a basic aristocrat who comes to London and knowing that Renfield has a mania and is able to detect the presence of Dracula and send clues accordingly. I buy a house and property near the mental asylum and try to find Mina. The story is basically about the journey of Mina and me.

Charith : I play the role of Dr. John Seward, who is the owner of the mental asylum. I'm new as a doctor and I’m trying to figure out the flow of events. I link the most important characters and some of the transitions are quite challenging because of the accents. I play the role of an old librarian who’s Italian and the other is an American. It is not only a piece of garment here we switch entirely from one character to another.

Dinoo : I play the role of Mina and it is the main role. At the beginning I am an average Victorian woman who is simple and cool but I’m always surrounded by men. So the system is patriarchal and the story revolves around my involvement with Dracula. I have the least number of transitions and I play the role of a male named Arthur which is the most challenging.

Eraj Gunawardena (left) and Ishtartha Wellaboda (right)

What have you learned from drama and what has it given you?

Eraj : I have got to know a lot of people. Although you get involved in English drama you cannot make a living but it is a stress reliever for me. It’s kind of a meditation because it helps you to forget the world outside for at least a while and have some fun.

Dinoo : It has become a place of peace for me. Everything who I am today is a result of drama.
What message do you have to give someone who wants to join English drama?

Vishan : Come, join and enjoy the fun. Some people think that those involved in drama are quite isolated and they like it that way but it is only a stigma. The connections we make here are forever and the bond is stronger. Also English drama is not only for the elite.

Charith : If someone wants to improve their level of confidence then this is the ideal place. I used to be quite an introvert in school but today I have become more active. Also it introduces you to a lot people and it can help you in networking. After all, drama is not only about acting.

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
Photographs by Nisal Baduge