Transylvania, 1888. Sitting in his castle like a spider in its web, Count Dracula is setting his plans in motion. Soon he will travel to England, there to cut a bloody swathe through polite society and pit himself against a dedicated crew of vampire-slayers.

Jonathan Barnes’ prequel to Bram Stoker’s classic novel rides a wave of recent Dracula prequels/sequels/remakes, including Dacre Stoker’s Dracul, the Mark Gatiss/ Steven Moffat TV version, and Barnes’ own upcoming novel Dracula’s Child. It seems our fascination with the vampire count is as strong as ever, and this, this first of two new Big Finish boxsets, proves that there’s still plenty to say about him.

Big Finish released an adaptation of the Stoker novel in 2016, featuring Mark Gatiss as the eponymous villain. Gatiss returns in this prequel which begins with a fairly straight adaptation of Stoker’s short story Dracula’s Guest, published posthumously by his widow in 1914. As you’d imagine, Gatiss is very good as Dracula, going more nuanced and low-key than the full Lugosi. This first story – The Artist’s Tale – follows portrait artist Jeremiah Hart (David Bamber) on his commission to paint a rich patron in Transylvania.

Second story, The Vampire’s Story, picks up with Hart writing to his muse, Madeline, recalling his experience to date with Dracula. He has no idea how long he has been there and has been supplied with paint of a particular hue and consistency. Dracula then takes over the narrative, telling a tale of his ‘ancestor’, a warlord who is protecting his homeland from the Ottomans. Final story is The Detective’s Tale, with Ian Hallard as DI Renfield, dealing with a vicious, dying mother and the perpetrator of an exsanguination.

Each story can be listened to in isolation, but they work best as a single piece, writer Barnes employing both straight dialogue scenes and as epistolary letters. The performances are uniformly excellent, supported by Rob Harvey’s music and some creepy sound design by Joe Meiner.

Verdict: A highly recommended extension to the Dracula mythos, weaving in and around the Stoker novel and ensuing legacy. I can’t wait for Dracula’s War next. 9/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order Dracula’s Guests from Big Finish