Count Dracula has been portrayed on screen far too many times to count, including in the recently-released Nosferatu. Now, Jonathan Bailey has brought the literary villain to life, but using just his voice. The actor leads Audible’s new immersive audio adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, along with Ella Purnell .
Dracula’s stacked voice cast
Dracula includes an all-star cast, including Aimee Lou Wood as Lucy, Louis Partridge as Jonathan, David Jonsson as Dr Seward, Lesley Manville as Mrs Westenra, Johnny Flynn as Renfield, Francis Lovehall as Arthur, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Professor Van Helsing. Mary Lambert, known for directing Pet Sematary, makes her audiobook directing debut with the adaptation. Robyn Ahern has adapted the story, while Ilan Eshkeri has composed the original score.
Because she’s not simply a victim in this story — she’s actively hunting Dracula herself, “Playing Mina in this adaptation has been incredibly exciting. “With a character like Dracula, every inflection matters. Ella Purnell added that she found the reimagination exciting as Mina is no longer just the victim in this narrative. What I love about this version is that it gives her real agency and puts her at the heart of the story.
Jonathan Bailey said playing Dracula required him to build the character through his voice. You’re building an entire world through your voice, discovering the darkest corners of who he is,” he said. Acting for audio makes it so intimate; you really feel that psychological battle between them,” she said.
