
© Marta Orlik-Gaillard
Nosferatu is a classic German Expressionist horror film. Made in 1922, it is loosely based on Bram Stoker's famous novel,
Dracula. The film used extreme contrasts of light and shade, distorted camera angles, and sharp angles to create a truly eerie atmosphere, and now the Polish director, Grzegorz Jarzyna, has done the same to bring this disturbing tale to the stage.
How can you tell the difference between ideas and reality when they are hidden between light and shade? This is the theme explored in Jarzyna's interpretation of
Nosferatu, a mythic vampire story full of blood, lust, and psychological scares.
The play will be performed at the Barbican between 31st October and 4rd November, and there will be something special going on each night.
On Halloween you will get a tour of the Barbican by torchlight, hear gothic stories, haunting music, and get to sip on some bloody cocktails. The play will start at 9pm.
The next night you can book to listen to a pre-show talk with the director at 5pm, followed by a showing of the play.
On the 3rd November you will also be able to buy tickets to see the 1922 film at 4pm. If you book to see the two together then you can save £4, but note that while the film is a PG, the play is for 16 plus.
On the 3rd and 4th November Jarzyna will be running a two-day workshop looking at classical Greek texts, and explaining the distinctive style to his work. The workshops last between 10:30am-4.30pm, cost £50, and include a showing of
Nosferatu in the evening.
Excluding all the other features,
tickets for the play itself costs between £16-£35. It will be spoken Polish, but there will be English subtitles.