Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is set to return to the West End stage in February, starring in Bram Stoker’s Dracula at the Noel Coward Theatre in London.
The Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winner will play Dracula and 22 other roles in the one-person show, which is adapted and directed by Kip Williams following his multi-award-winning version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook.
Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo will run at the Noel Coward Theatre from 4 February to 31 May 2026.
The show is once again produced by The Picture of Dorian Gray producers, Australian impresario Michael Cassel, and Kindred Partners’ Adam Kenwright.
Kip Williams was previously artistic director of Sydney Theatre Company, and announced last April that he was leaving the company after 13 years to concentrate on more international work, following the success of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
He was appointed artistic director by co-founders of Sydney Theatre Company, Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton.
Dracula was first staged at Sydney Theatre Company in 2024 starring Zahra Newman, and is the final instalment in Kip’s Gothic cine-theatre trilogy that also included The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, which transferred to New York following its successful run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, has recently been nominated for six Tony Awards on Broadway, including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Sarah Snook.
Williams reunites with Olivier Award-winning designer Marg Horwell and lighting designer Nick Schlieper for Dracula, which promises to be a riveting study of the monster within, and will combine live video, pre-recorded film and an extraordinary live performance from Cynthia Erivo for the piece.
The production’s creative team also includes sound designer Jessica Dunn, video designer Craig Wilkinson, composer Clemence Williams, and dramaturg Zahra Newman, with further creatives to be announced.
The play is set in a ruined castle, high in the wilderness, where a mysterious presence is lurking. Is it man or beast? Angel or demon? For centuries, Count Dracula has held his remote corner of the world in a vice grip of terror. But evil is on the move and the residents of London will soon fall under its bewitching, transformative spell.
Erivo will play all 23 characters in Bram Stoker’s iconic tale, from the naïve solicitor Jonathan Harker and his fiancée Mina Murray to confidante Lucy Westenra, her suitors, and the formidable vampire hunter Van Helsing, as well as the infamous Count Dracula.
Dracula is not a musical, but Cynthia Erivo will sing in the show – just one song, near the end of the production, composed by Clemence Williams. The soundtrack also features a mix of classical, contemporary and club music.
Rehearsals for Dracula start late December 2025.
Dracula is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre from 4 February to 31 May 2026.
More about Dracula tickets at the Noel Coward Theatre London
A busy year for Cynthia Erivo
Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo was propelled to global superstardom last year, starring in Jon M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the Broadway and West End hit musical Wicked.
The first part, Wicked, was a cinema box-office smash-hit, and the second part, Wicked: For Good, opens on 21 November 2025.
Cynthia is currently starring in the new series of Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face, playing quintuplets in the season 2 opener, titled “The Game Is a Foot”!
Coming up, Cynthia is hosting the 78th annual Tony Awards on 8 June, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Nominations for the Tonys were announced at the beginning of May.
Cynthia Erivo is also starring as Jesus in a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in August. Her co-star as Judas is Adam Lambert.
On film, one of her next projects is starring in Takashi Doscher’s new action thriller Karoshi.
Dracula marks Cynthia Erivo’s return to the West End stage following her Tony Award-winning performance as Celie in The Color Purple in New York and London.
What’s on at the Noel Coward Theatre
Currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London is Mischief Theatre’s The Comedy About Spies until 5 September 2025.
There are no productions currently scheduled at the Noel Coward Theatre between September 2025 to the end of January 2026.
More about Dracula tickets at the Noel Coward Theatre London
What They Said
Quotes from the cast and creatives of Dracula.
Actor Cynthia Erivo said: “Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I’ve been craving for a long time. To do so with a story as rich, complex, and haunting as Dracula offers a beautiful opportunity to delve into character, into myth, and into the heart of what makes us human. From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip’s vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto. It’s a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece, and I’m honoured to do it for West End audiences in this extraordinary production. The prospect of doing this show scares me and I know it will be a huge challenge. This show will ask everything of me — and I’m ready to give it.”
Kip Williams, Director and Adapter, said: “I am thrilled to be returning to the West End to direct my adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and to collaborate with the extraordinary Cynthia Erivo, as she brings to life the many iconic characters of this much-adored tale. 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. I am excited to reunite with many of my Dorian Gray collaborators on this project, and it is an immense privilege to have such a singularly gifted artist as Cynthia at the heart of it. I can’t wait to share this piece with London audiences, especially in the West End, a place where Bram spent so much of his creative life.”
Michael Cassel, Producer of the West End season, said: “It is an incredible privilege to bring Kip Williams’ visionary production of Dracula to the West End, led by the incomparable Cynthia Erivo. Cynthia is an artist of extraordinary power and presence, and Kip’s bold approach to this iconic story will offer audiences something truly unforgettable. I am so excited for London audiences to experience the thrilling synergy between Cynthia’s extraordinary flair and Kip’s ground-breaking storytelling. This production represents everything we love about theatre: daring artistry, breathtaking performance, and a deep connection with audiences.”
Adam Kenwright, Producer, said: “The West End has long been home to some of the world’s most exhilarating storytelling, and I am so proud to help bring Dracula and this remarkable team to London. Cynthia Erivo is a once-in-a-generation talent, and Kip Williams has reimagined this classic story with innovation and emotional depth. Cynthia’s return to the stage is a theatrical event in itself, and this unflinching, beautiful production promises an unparalleled experience for theatre lovers.”
Anne Dunn, Sydney Theatre Company Executive Director and co-CEO, said: “Sydney Theatre Company is thrilled, as originating producer of former Artistic Director Kip Williams’ groundbreaking cine-theatre adaptation of Dracula, to collaborate with Michael Cassel Group once again to take this STC production to the West End. We are immensely proud that the innovative work of our team here in Sydney – who first brought Dracula to life starring Zahra Newman in 2024 and before that, The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Eryn Jean Norvill in 2020 – is being recognised on the world stage. With the incredible Cynthia Erivo at the helm, the exquisite work of STC’s award-winning, all-Australian creative team and led by Kip’s singular, ambitious vision, this spectacular interpretation of Bram Stoker’s gothic classic will be another unmissable theatrical experience for London audiences.”
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