“A Secretive organization. Two antagonistic colleagues. Dracula's severed head.”
Since his beheading at the end of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic novel Dracula, the titular character’s remains have been kept by a mysterious foundation for over a century – remains which are slowly rejuvenating. In The Holmwood Foundation, a found-footage podcast operating as a modern-day sequel to the iconic novel, that mysterious foundation is cracked open as two of the Foundation’s employees, Maddie Townsend (Rebecca Root) and Jeremy Larkin (Seán Carlsen), aim to fulfil the wishes of Jonathan and Mina Harker - the ghosts who have possessed them - and stop Dracula once and for all. . The pair (quartet, more accurately) encounter various horrors while on a journey to transport the vampire’s head between Foundation buildings. Couple and creative duo Fio Tretheway (Big Finish: Gallifrey War Room, 18th Wall Productions) and Georgia Cook (Big Finish: The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles, Gallifrey War Room, BBC Books, Dracula Daily Sketch Collection) have concocted a story that promises to spook and intrigue, with a Kickstarter to fund the series’ creation beginning October 15th, 2024.
According to the podcast’s website, The Holmwood Foundation “is a story about identity and self discovery, family loyalty and devotion, all wrapped around a nightmare of a road trip with a rejuvenating severed head, incredibly sincere Victorian ghosts and an analogue recorder.”
The fact that the show was created by a queer couple and features multiple LGBTQIA+ characters as well as cast members makes the themes of identity, discovery, and family even more potent. The exploration of LGBTQIA+ identities and relationships is central to the story of The Holmwood Foundation. This exploration comes from both the modern and Victorian perspectives, tied together within the horror genre which often attracts queer creatives and audiences alike. “We wanted to create a story that put LGBTQIA+ people central to the narrative,” Fio and Georgia say.
We discussed the series further, and the pair elaborated on the podcasts connection to LGBTQ+ identity. Regarding the series’ co-lead, Fio and Georgia explain that “Maddie Townsend is a trans woman, grappling both the gothic horror of vampires and the personal horrors of finding herself alone on the Yorkshire moors”. Maddie is voiced by Rebecca Root, a trans actress who has starred in Boy Meets Girl (2015-2016), various Doctor Who audio dramas as Tania Bell, and has a plethora of other theater, radio, TV, film, and video game credits to her name. Root has been very outspoken about the need for more transgender representation in media, speaking with Metro.co.uk in June of this year about the need for roles that are on the wider spectrum of transgender representation: roles for transmen, nonbinary actors, and those who are older.
The Holmwood Foundation provides those opportunities not only in casting Rebecca Root as Maddie/Mina, but in the form of supporting lead Tom Van Helsing (whose casting is yet to be revealed), a trans man in his late 30s who stars in his own vampire-hunting series. Alongside the transgender representation, Maddie’s counterpart and second lead Jeremy Larkin is bisexual.
The 30-minute pilot for The Holmwood Foundation has now been released as part of an official launch for the series Kickstarter. If fully funded, the Kickstarter will allow for The Holmwood Foundation to be developed into a full, seven-episode season with two more seasons planned in the future. Supporters of the campaign can expect plenty of rewards, ranging from stickers and postcards to the ability to name a character or dedicate an episode to someone. Different tiers will be available to give supporters plenty of options on how they can support the series. According to Fio and Georgia, “We wanted to give as much as we could to our backers, with rewards that should be enticing at all price levels”.
The duo have also been busy operating the series’ dedicated social media channels, most notably their Tumblr (@theholmwoodfoundation) which features ‘extracts’ from The Holmwood Foundation itself – snippets exploring the series’ world and characters in the form of in-universe interviews, reports, and more. Among the Kickstarter rewards and social media treats, there’s plenty of extra material to entice fans and bring them closer to the story and characters of The Holmwood Foundation.
The trailer for the series, as well as the first episode, are currently available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, and on other podcast platforms. More information on the series, its cast and crew, as well as transcripts for the trailer, can be found at TheHolmwoodFoundation.com
Words: Ivy Hanover (she/her)
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