Thirst: ‘You’re all mad’

Vampirism and aristocracy have been closely linked since Bram Stoker sent Count Dracula to England in search of victims. In this contemporary twist on the connection, Mrs Barker and Hodge scoff at the idea of being vampires in the commonly understood sense. In their eyes, the drinking of blood is to be celebrated as a privilege of aristocracy. As Kate listens to this demented rationale, ‘donors’ whose blood is exported for use by sect members wander around the compound like zombies. In political terms, this sequence could be interpreted as the ruling class bleeding the working class dry.