Stepping onto the London stage at the Noël Coward Theater, Cynthia Erivo commands attention in a simple sports top and trousers, a stark ensemble that soon transforms with an array of wigs and period costumes. With her distinct shaved head, powerful physique, and long nails, the acclaimed ‘Wicked’ star is the sole performer, accompanied only by a stealthy camera crew. Their real-time footage of her every gesture is projected onto a colossal screen, making her performance larger than life.
This innovative production masterfully blends live and pre-recorded footage, presenting us with multiple Erivos on screen simultaneously—sometimes two, sometimes three, even four. Over an exhilarating two hours, she slips into an astonishing 23 different characters in this bold new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s chilling masterpiece, ‘Dracula.’
While the play delves into the dark world of vampirism, its execution feels less like traditional theater and more like a captivating act of visual sorcery.
‘Dracula,’ ingeniously adapted and directed by Kip Williams and running until May 30, marks a significant return to her roots for London native Cynthia Erivo. Before her phenomenal Broadway debut in ‘The Color Purple,’ she graced numerous West End stages. Now, a decade, multiple accolades, and two ‘Wicked’ films later, she stands as a global sensation.
- Dracula
A one-woman show of this scale is an immense undertaking for any actor. Director Williams previously garnered significant acclaim—including a Tony and an Olivier for its star, Sarah Snook—with his similarly structured 2024 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s ‘Picture of Dorian Gray.’ Erivo rises to the challenge with formidable skill, even navigating a few opening-night script slips gracefully. Any imperfections in the production seem to stem from elements beyond her control.
Forget gruesome visuals; this ‘Dracula’ prioritizes a different kind of terror. The more chilling moments are conveyed purely through narrative, focusing on building an unsettling atmosphere rather than relying on overt shock tactics.
The narrative unfolds with rapid-fire, epistolary accounts from a multitude of characters. We begin with lawyer Jonathan Harker’s fateful journey to Romania, summoned by the enigmatic Count Dracula himself. Erivo’s portrayal of the Count is particularly striking, delivered with a Nigerian accent and a disconcertingly calm, collected demeanor as he orchestrates his move to the bustling city of London.
While Erivo is renowned for her musical theater background, ‘Dracula’ largely foregoes song, save for a fleeting moment. Yet, the entire production occasionally takes on a delightfully vaudevillian feel.
Erivo masterfully breaks the fourth wall, sharing knowing glances with the audience whenever a scene veers into delightfully bizarre territory.
Tuesday’s premiere saw waves of laughter erupt as Erivo’s various doppelgängers made their first appearances. The audience was particularly amused by her transformation into the ill-fated, platinum-blonde Lucy Westenra, who tragically becomes a vampire after Dracula’s attack, and her comical turns as Lucy’s three bumbling, bearded, and moustached suitors.
In a standout comedic moment, Professor Van Helsing, Dracula’s formidable foe, arrives at Lucy’s sickbed armed with an absurdly large collection of garlic wreaths—enough to suggest he’s redecorating rather than warding off evil.
This blend of humor and dread makes it challenging to maintain genuine menace, leaving the audience wondering if the production aims to truly frighten or playfully satirize the horror genre.
Director Williams’s prior works showcased a clear thematic link between his innovative camerawork and the core narratives: ‘Dorian Gray‘ explored vanity, ‘The Maids‘ delved into fame and resentment, and ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde‘ examined inner and outer lives. Unfortunately, this clear connection feels somewhat absent in ‘Dracula.’
While the intricate camerawork undeniably creates a noir-esque tension, largely from the uncanny effect of seeing Erivo’s multiple portrayals simultaneously, some of the intense close-ups—like her baring fangs or suggestively biting her lip—stray into somewhat cheesy territory. After all, television already excels at such dramatic framing.
Despite this, other production elements exude undeniable style. Marg Howell’s set design is particularly impressive, conjuring a churchyard with a haunting, chaotic arrangement of wooden crosses and later, a striking heart-shaped doorway.
A pivotal scene unfolds against a confetti snowscape, with pulsating techno music crescendoing to a deafening peak. The intensity is palpable until, at a critical juncture, the screen cuts to Van Helsing. The image of a smooth-skinned Erivo sporting a stick-on beard shatters the illusion of terror, reminding the audience of the play’s comedic undertones. While Williams’s signature blend of wit and irony perfectly suited his adaptations of Wilde and Genet, it doesn’t quite resonate with the gravitas expected from ‘Dracula.’
It’s a missed opportunity, as ‘Dracula’ inherently possesses significant contemporary relevance. Published in 1897, the novel emerged as Victorian society grappled with a syphilis epidemic and early feminist movements challenged male sexual improprieties. Modern audiences can draw unsettling parallels, such as with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, whose rumored fascination with longevity and transhumanism tragically intertwined with a pattern of abuse. The echoes of Dracula, an ‘undead’ being sustained by the suffering of others, are starkly pertinent.
Similarly, the novel’s original racial undertones—reflecting xenophobic anxieties towards East European Jews in 1890s London—could have been profoundly explored. Erivo’s casting as an African-coded Count subtly updates this dimension, acknowledging her own Igbo heritage. However, the production largely sidesteps a deeper engagement with these contemporary resonances, opting instead to primarily serve as a platform for the director and star’s impressive technical prowess.
Yet, for the immense and devoted ‘Wicked’ fan base, largely comprising younger audiences, these critiques may be moot. They will undoubtedly flock to witness Erivo’s live performance, a true highlight. It’s almost poetically ironic to consider this ambitious project a ‘vanity piece’ that thrives on the fervent loyalty of its youthful admirers, metaphorically ‘sucking their blood by proxy’ and, quite literally, their parents’ wallets.
Dracula
Through May 30 at the Noël Coward Theater in London; draculawestend.com.