Stanhope’s score is an accomplished piece of work that holds the attention with its clever use of instrumental writing and is at times genuinely creepy without laying on any crass Hammer Horror effects...In the title role Jud Arthur creates an aptly sinister presence. Nicholas Jones conveys the steadily rising terror of Jonathan Harker.

Stanhope’s opera, based on the Stoker novel, is moody and atmospheric, with exciting effects – not least the baying brass of the wolves in Act I and the contrast of Lucy’s soprano purity against the spikier vocal lines of the vampires. The story is clear, the enunciation crisp, and the outer acts offer some excitements, though the middle act lowers the temperature slightly. It is a bold attempt at something new and well worth a listen.