Malthouse Education is excited to present Nosferatu, the scintillating new gothic drama based on the iconic 1922 silent film, as part of the 2023 VCE Drama Playlist.

You've heard the rumours, the whispers of what happens here.

Welcome to Bluewater: a Tasmanian mining town that time left behind. The locals are desperate to restore the place to its glory days, putting their faith in a mysterious investor with a green thumb… and an appetite for blood.

Vineyards are planted, the community is reinvigorated, and money flows for the first time in years—so when people start disappearing, no one dares to ask why.

The myth of the vampire has been a subject of fear and fascination—across cultures and around the world—for centuries. In literature, film, and popular culture (and theatre!), the vampire returns again and again as an enigmatic figure; a villain who manages to slip past our defences and corrupt our souls. Every new telling holds a mirror up to a society’s anxieties and obsessions, and what makes us invite this fantastic creature into our homes. 

Written by Keziah Warner and directed by Bridget Balodis, Nosferatu is a fine example of Eclectic Performance—of naturistic dialogue and lashings of humour against heightened expressionism and epic production values—a stylistic tribute to Australian Gothic in the tradition of Picnic at Hanging Rock (2016/2018).

It interrogates bold topical themes of capitalism and gentrification; the impacts of human intervention on the natural environment—and how it fights back; the allure of Big Money and its power to make us overlook the ills in front of our own eyes; and the nature of myth and belief in 21^st Century Australia.

VCE Drama Prompt Packs

The Malthouse Theatre provides pre-show and post-show Prompt Packs that explore the script and themes to help the students gain a deeper understanding of the production.

Prompt Pack A (pre-show)

Nosferatu (Singles)

Nosferatu (Spreads)

Prompt Pack B (post-show)

Nosferatu (Singles)

Nosferatu (Spreads)

Script

One complementary hard copy script will be available per school. Class sets are available through Currency Press for $15 each + postage with code MalthouseOffer.

Dates & Tickets

EDUCATION MATINEES

11.30am Wednesday 22 February
1:00pm Thursday 23 February
11.30am Wednesday 1 March
1:00pm Thursday 2 March

DURATION

1 hours and 40 minutes (no interval) + 30 minute optional Q&A at education matinees

PRICES

Metro schools / $49 (per student)
Regional & low-ICSEA schools / $35 (per student)
Accompanying teachers / Free (max. 2 per group)
Additional teachers / $59

Post-show Q&A

All education matinees are followed by a Q&A session with the cast facilitated by the Malthouse Theatre Education team.

Revisit the Play

Revisit the Play is our acclaimed digital workshop aimed at preparing students for their VCE Drama written examination. With production footage excerpts, facilitated analysis and curriculum-focused provocations, this on-demand session in an invaluable revision opportunity for your class. Bookings can be made here. Resources will be available from 11 September 2023. 

Advice for Schools

Recommended for ages 15 and older. This production contains occasional coarse language, discussion of warfare, depiction of violence and blood, and references to death or dying.  

For more information about the play, its script, or curriculum links, please contact Malthouse Education Coordinator, Lyall Brooks at lbrooks@malthousetheatre.com.au. 

For all ticket and booking enquiries, please contact education@malthousetheatre.com.au.