Cynthia Erivo is set to return to the London stage in a bold reinvention of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, taking on the iconic vampire and 22 additional characters in a one-woman production scheduled for the West End next year. The ambitious adaptation comes from the same creative and producing team behind the acclaimed stage version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which starred Sarah Snook on Broadway and in London.
Adapted and directed by Kip Williams, the production delves into the unsettling psychological and erotic undercurrents of Stoker’s 1897 novel, a story steeped in Victorian anxieties, forbidden desire, and nightmarish imagery. Erivo’s casting marks her first stage appearance since her Tony Award-winning performance as Celie in The Color Purple, a role she played both in London and New York before leaving the production in 2017.
Produced by Michael Cassel and Adam Kenwright, the Sydney Theatre Company’s Dracula will play a limited 16-week engagement at the Noel Coward Theatre from February 4 through May 31, 2026. The West End run follows a successful Sydney outing last year, though Cassel emphasizes that the London version will be newly shaped rather than replicated. Erivo will collaborate closely with Williams during rehearsals to create a fresh interpretation of the material.
Williams’ approach blends live performance with filmed elements in what he calls “cine-theatre,” allowing Erivo to shift seamlessly between characters as camera operators move fluidly across the stage. After seeing Snook’s Dorian Gray and discussing the technical and creative demands of Williams’ work, Erivo was drawn to the opportunity to help build the production from the ground up.
Across the evening, Erivo will portray Count Dracula, Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra, Professor Van Helsing, and numerous others. Cassel notes that such a feat requires exceptional versatility, calling Erivo the ideal performer to anchor the production.
Although Dracula is a straight play rather than a musical, audiences can expect Erivo to sing once during the performance. The original song, composed by Clemence Williams, appears near the end of the approximately one-hour-and-50-minute show.
Rehearsals begin in late December, following Erivo’s global promotional commitments for Wicked: For Good, which opens in November. The producers have built flexibility into the performance schedule to accommodate potential awards appearances.
For Cassel, Erivo’s return to theatre underscores the enduring appeal of live performance for screen stars. He describes the project as a demanding, exhilarating challenge—one that invites an actor of Erivo’s caliber to reinvent herself nightly before a live audience.
