Review: DRACULA at Noël Coward Theatre

Ms Erivo's multi-role performance has received universal praise for its ambition and I was intrigued to better understand how it is accomplished and more particularly, how seamlessly she manages the transitions between characters. I also wanted to understand how the much-vaunted onstage technology (mainly gyro cameras and projections) aid her in the endeavour.

First off, let me say that I am a fan of Ms Erivo. She is an undeniable talent and has already contributed considerably to the entertainment megasphere in theatre, films and as a recording artist, so I found myself wondering what specifically drew her to a stage retelling of Bram Stoker's vampire tale, which is already universally known through the countless theatre, film, radio and television productions. Presumably the vision of director Kip Williams with his established technique of using pre-recorded segments overlaid with live action camera feed is dangerous and perhaps therefore, intrinsically exciting to perform. It was certainly a magically effective method when he used it to update The Picture of Dorian Gray which took London theatregoers by storm back in 2024 with Sarah Snook playing all 26 roles in the piece. So how did this befanged and befangled effort compare?

To be honest, during my journey home after leaving the theatre, I found myself repeatedly asking the same question — namely, had I been entertained? The answer wasn't altogether clear to me. I had witnessed a spectacle for sure. Erivo's delivery of Jonathan Harker's diary entries (written to his betrothed Mina back in England), are landed with precision and at a Gattling Gun pace. Presumably this is to ensure momentum but perhaps more significantly, to get through the voluminous, descriptive material, which provides a blow by blow account of his arrival, dealings with, and incarceration by the Count at his castle in the Carpathian Mountains.

As Erivo morphs from Harker to Mina, and from Lucy to Jack and back again, she is a swirl of choreographed movement, attended by camera operators, and stage hands who swiftly help to move her in and out of wigs and costumes. At times it is dizzying to observe the transformations as they are beamed onto huge suspended screens which often move downstage to mask the upstage area, facilitating set changes and dramatic reveals. This is especially effective when the massive rising screen gives way to an array of coffins and crucifixes which appear where moments before there had been a simple wrought iron bench or perhaps a bed.

At the curtail call, I counted 13 technical personnel ranged either side of Ms Erivo. In some ways, they are the backbone of this complex and tricksy spectacle. Ultimately, however, it is Cynthia Erivo's sheer life force and phenomenal concentration which enables the production to stampede through the bite-sized telling of a 165,000 word novel in just under 2 hours straight through without an interval… and almost without drawing breath!

DRACULA continues at Noël Coward Theatre until end of May.

Dracula London Tickets