Bram Stoker’s gothic classic returns to London as Cynthia Erivo leads a bold, cinematic Dracula at the Noël Coward Theatre. Sam Rogg reports how this tale continues to wow.
Few vampire stories have captured the imagination quite like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Since its publication in 1897, the tale of the Transylvanian count has inspired a rich legacy of stage productions, films and television adaptations, each generation discovering fresh relevance in its dark themes. This year, London theatregoers are invited to encounter the story anew as Sydney Theatre Company’s acclaimed adaptation arrives at the Noël Coward Theatre (4 Feb-30 May), starring the prodigious Cynthia Erivo.
Adapted and directed by Kip Williams – who wowed audiences with his award-winning productions of The Picture of Dorian Gray (starring Sarah Snook) and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde – this latest incarnation of Dracula completes his gothic trilogy in his signature cinematic style. Expect a seamless blend of live performance and projected video that draws on classic horror movie techniques to blur the line between stage and film.
At the heart of this ambitious undertaking is Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner Erivo (Wicked), who single-handedly plays 23 characters, from the naïve solicitor Jonathan Harker to the determined Mina Murray and the formidable Count Dracula himself. ‘It’s a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece,’ says Erivo, who grew up in south London and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before Hollywood came calling. ‘Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one I’ve been craving for a long time.’
As seen in the production’s 2024 debut in Sydney (where it starred Zahra Newman), Williams’ adaptation reorients the narrative as a psychological battle rather than a purely external threat. ‘Our production expands upon Stoker’s exploration of the tension between fear and desire, offering a contemporary perspective on the vampire as a monster that lurks not beyond, but within,’ the director explains. ‘I can’t wait to share this piece with London audiences, especially in the West End, where Stoker lived and worked for much of his life.’
Stoker’s London, Whitby’s Shadow
Indeed, like Erivo, London was central to the author’s life and career. He lived in Chelsea (look for the Blue Plaque at 18 St Leonard’s Terrace) while managing the Lyceum Theatre for 27 years, with the city’s fog-shrouded streets and hidden corners seeping into the gothic worlds he imagined.
Further north, the windswept ruins of Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire famously inspired the novel’s central vampire figure. For those eager to follow Stoker’s footsteps, a trip to Whitby offers dramatic cliffs, historic streets and the haunting abbey itself, which is open to the public.
If it’s Dracula himself you seek, however, he’s already made his way back to London – ready to stalk the stage once more. Stake your claim early, though: tickets are expected to vanish faster than a vampire at sunrise.
