Renfield — Drakula

In Okan Bayülgen’s reimagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Korhan Başaran takes on Renfield as a sly, volatile and darkly comic presence—a seemingly devoted servant whose loyalty conceals an appetite for power and a persistent game of his own. Something of an Iago within Dracula’s universe, Renfield emerges in the first act as an unpredictable instigator, moving between servant, conspirator and master of play.

Başaran builds the character through his distinctive physical and theatrical language, drawing equally on movement, vocal range, rhythm, improvisational instinct and an acute responsiveness to the present moment. The result is a highly physical, mercurial Renfield whose shifts between menace, humour, obedience and ambition make him one of the production’s most vivid presences—a performance also singled out positively by audiences during the production’s extensive tour across Türkiye.

audience impressions

“Korhan Başaran, who plays Renfield, was fantastic too. Both he and Cüneyt Üstün, who carries the role of Lucy Westenra dazzlingly in sky-high heels, gave performances that stood out more than anyone else in the first act.”

“I like Okan, and Hayko is the one we love most, but in my opinion, Korhan Başaran, who plays Renfield, was the best actor in the entire production.”

“The production is quite original in terms of its set and staging, and captures the Gothic period very well. The automatons in particular were very original. There wasn’t any truly outstanding acting overall, but the character of Reinfeld, Dracula’s assistant, was performed exceptionally well.”

“So, was there nothing good about it? On the contrary: I especially loved the performances of the zombies, Renfield—who kept licking his lips from time to time—and Artemisia.”