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The Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo will sink her teeth into role of Dracula in a one-actor adaptation of Bram Stoker’s gothic novel from the Australian creators of the Tony-nominated Broadway and West End hit The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Dracula, adapted by director Kip Williams for Sydney Theatre Company (where it premiered in 2024) and co-produced by Australia’s Michael Cassel Group, will make its international debut on London’s West End in February 2026, with Erivo playing the bloodthirsty count as well as 22 supporting characters in a production that melds theatre with live and prerecorded video.
The Guardian described it as “a clever and playful production that borrows cinematic tropes and camera angles from early horror films, monster flicks and other cult classics”.
Erivo, last on stage in 2016’s The Color Purple (for which she won a Tony award), was approached about the role nine months ago during the global promotional tour for Wicked. Before signing on, she watched archival video of the STC production, which opened at Sydney’s Roslyn Packer theatre in July 2024, starring Zahra Newman. She also spoke to Williams about his unique style of “cine-theatre”, in which actors interact with live and prerecorded video.
In March, Erivo attended the Broadway premiere of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and is understood to have spoken with Sarah Snook about her Tony award-nominated performance, which involves navigating camera operators and screens on stage, as well as rapid-fire costume changes and role switching.
Michael Cassel, co-producing the West End run with Adam Kenwright, told Deadline: “[Cynthia] has really spent most of her time with Kip just talking through the inspiration and the dramaturgy of it all. For them to connect in that way has been important for them because this is a show that they go and create together.”
The original Sydney production will not “be a blueprint” for the West End version, Cassel told Deadline. “I think what’s so exciting, I think for her, and for us, while we know what the story is, they get to go and create this role in the rehearsal room in London together, and that was very appealing to Cynthia to put her own interpretation on the role and explore that with Kip.”
Besides Dracula, Erivo’s roles include the count’s love interest Mina, his nemesis Van Helsing and his henchman Renfield.
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While the play is not a musical, Wicked fans will be pleased to hear there is one original song near the show’s end, by composer Clemence Williams. Like Dorian Gray, the soundtrack also features an eclectic mix of classical, contemporary and club tracks.
Reflecting on the casting coup, which comes hot on the heels of Dorian Gray’s swag of six Tony award nominations, Cassel said: “We’re just so thrilled Cynthia has agreed to choose this as a project she really wants to be a part of.
“When you look at Sarah as well, these actors have these amazing experiences on film or television, but the draw to the theatre, and indeed to do something that is so challenging, I think it’s testament to the caliber as actors that these individuals are.
“It’s challenging what they’re being asked to do. It’s a world apart from what Cynthia’s been doing recently, and she can go and find that character and be challenged night in, night out as all good actors are in front of a live audience and I think that’s really thrilling.”
