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. Yet before then there is much to be done. A certain artist must be brought to him and a certain portrait painted. An old tale must be told, drawn from the darkest recesses of Transylvanian history. And in faraway London an honest police detective must be corrupted and set to work in the service of the Count. The vampire king is making preparations. And his survival will be assured – no matter the cost. Inspired by a story by Bram Stoker, Dracula’s Guests is a prequel to the original novel and the first in a three-part connected series from Big Finish Productions, continuing in Dracula and concluding with Dracula’s War.

Mark Gatiss stars in this chilling three-hour audio adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story, dramatised by Jonathan Barnes. When a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, visits the heart of Transylvania - ostensibly to meet reclusive nobleman Count Dracula - he cannot begin to imagine what horrors might lie in store for him there...or the chain of events he will set in motion at Castle Dracula. Soon, Dracula's bloodlust spreads to England's shores, and Harker's fiancée, Mina Murray, becomes embroiled in his affairs. Her best friend, Lucy Westenra, falls victim to the vampire's thirst, and it is only with the help of an unlikely bunch of allies that the Count might be defeated...but can the undead ever truly perish? This release also includes a bonus CD, featuring interviews with Dracula's writer and cast, plus a selection of James Dunlop's soundtrack for the production. This full cast version of Dracula was released 119 years after the story's original publication - an ever-fresh classic that new readers discover over and over. The writer/producer team last worked together in producing a new audio version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Star Mark Gatiss is a hugely busy giant of British television, most recently scripting Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space and Time, and Sherlock. For some he's most often thought of as one of the members of The League of Gentlemen. CAST: Mark Gatiss (Count Dracula), Joseph Kloska (Jonathan Harker), Deirdre Mullins (Mina Murray), Nigel Betts (Abraham Van Helsing), Rupert Young (John Seward), Alex Jordan (Arthur Holmwood), David Menkin (Quincey P. Morris), Rosanna Miles (Lucy Westenra), Elizabeth Morton (Mary Westenra), Ian Hallard (Renfield), Edward Petherbridge (Mr Swales), Katy Manning (Sister Agatha).