Wicked Movie Star Cynthia Erivo plays 23 characters in an uncomfortable and overly ambitious one-actor, one-act adaption of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Sydney Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of Dracula, adapted and directed by visionary theatre-maker Kip Williams, has arrived at London’s Noël Coward Theatre.

At its centre is one of the most celebrated performers of modern times, Cynthia Erivo, undertaking the challenge of playing all twenty-three characters in Bram Stoker’s gothic tale, in just under two hours.

This production marks the final instalment of Williams’ gothic trilogy. London audiences first encountered his style in 2024 with The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Sarah Snook, who similarly performed multiple roles solo with extensive video integration.

In Australia, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde toured nationally. Williams’ signature fusion of live performance, pre-recorded film, and onstage camera work once again forms the backbone of this staging.

The Story

The story remains largely faithful to Stoker’s original (a book which I admit to only making it half way through before giving up). A young English solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to Transylvania to assist the enigmatic Count Dracula with a property purchase in England, only to discover that his host is a shapeshifting vampire who feeds on blood. Harker narrowly escapes as Dracula journeys to England, where he preys upon Lucy Westenra.

Despite medical intervention, Lucy wastes away and after her death, rises again as one of the undead. Led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing, her friends destroy her vampiric form before turning their attention to hunting Dracula himself. When Mina, Harker’s wife, becomes psychically linked to the Count, the group are able to track him back to Transylvania for a final confrontation.

The Show

The use of fusing live video, pre-recorded film, and live performance is a very ambitious thing to do – perhaps too much. Cameras follow Erivo around the stage, while she acts (mostly to camera), ignoring the audience and failing to make an emotional connection. The way she interacts with pre-recorded characters is a fascinating use of technology and works very well but as an audience member, I wanted to see a live theatrical performance and not a filming session.

There is no questioning Erivo’s talent or commitment. The physical and mental demands of delivering over 20,000 words, while switching seamlessly between twenty-three distinct characters, must be extraordinary. In this radical interpretation, she embodies everyone from the naïve Jonathan Harker and devoted Mina Murray to Lucy Westenra, her suitors, Van Helsing, and the infamous Count Dracula themself.

The Pressure

Marketed as “a chance to witness one of the world’s most extraordinary talents at the height of her powers,” the expectations on Cynthia Erivo are stratospheric.

Add to that the relentless scrutiny of online commentary, crowds of fans waiting to meet her each night after the show (when all she probably wants to do is go home) and the burden on Erivo must be immense. It would certainly keep me up at night.

Unfortunately, there were moments where the strain showed. Several passages felt hesitant, as though Erivo was searching for the next line or beat. Given the scale of the script, this is understandable but it contributed to an overall sense that the production may not yet be fully ready. At times, it felt under-rehearsed and overly ambitious, as though the concept slightly outpaced its execution.

Is it worth seeing?

Kip Williams’ DRACULA is unquestionably bold, inventive, and technically fascinating.

Whether it satisfies as theatre, however, may depend on what audience members want from the experience – cinematic innovation on stage, or the raw immediacy of live performance.

For me, it was the latter and I found much of it uncomfortable and a little too ambitious. Erivo’s powers though, are not to be underestimated. I just hope now the show is officially ‘open’ and the reviews have been inked, she can take a deep breath and be proud of what has been achieved.

★★★

West End Wilma

Dracula is playing at Noël Coward Theatre until 30 May 2026