In the summer of 1816, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley and Byron's doctor, John Polidori were staying at the Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. One evening, Byron suggested a challenge in which each of them would make up ghost stories to scare one another. Two of these stories gave rise to classic works of gothic fiction, the best known of which is Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. The other is 'The Vampyre' by John Polidori, the inspiration for which was the story told that evening by Lord Byron (who fell out with Polidori for stealing his idea!). The eponymous protagonist was based on Lord Byron and set the template for the aristocratic vampire in countless representations of the undead anti-hero ever since including, of course, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'.This adaptation was created by and is performed by Laurie Toczek, a Leeds based actor and director who formed Spud Theatre in 2010. The company's productions have been seen at various venues in Yorkshire and at the Edinburgh and Camden Fringe Festivals. More details about the company can be found at www.spudtheatre.com.