We take a look at what is being said about this adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic story, directed by Kip Williams and starring Cynthia Erivo.
Broadway World: *** “For Erivo, this is a feat of stamina. At nearly two hours without interval, she is performing constantly in what is a state of heightened concentration.”
Time Out: *** “Again, I refuse to treat Williams’ style like the Emperor’s new clothes. He’s onto something! It just doesn’t entirely work here. Despite stumbling over the odd line, Erivo is charismatic, game, and essentially does her best as a cog in Williams’ elaborate machine. But if you agree to tie your big comeback to a very specific directorial vision, there’s not much even a superstar actor can do if that vision is faulty.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “By Dracula’s end, it is hard to keep up with Erivo’s many characters, and it’s a relief when she opens her mouth to sing the words “come with me”, like a siren’s call. It is a welcome reminder of the talented voice at the heart of this project, but is her West End return a show to die for? Not quite.”
The Guardian : ** “Erivo appears ever smaller and more vulnerable on stage and your eye is drawn away from her, to the screen closeups. Sometimes images are superimposed on each other and look hallucinatory. It shows off what technology can do but the action itself is overwhelmingly static.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “Dracula is not that. It’s an exploration of the uncanny, of the unexplained, of the other. Asking one person to play every role, however brilliantly, flattens rather than liberates its story. In a Freudian reading, of course, it is almost entirely about sex and Victorian stuffiness, and having Erivo interact with herself inside a red-velvet heart does nothing to illuminate its shock value.”
The Telegraph: **** “This radical adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 vampire classic is a tour de force.”
The Stage: ** “Cynthia Erivo stars in Kip Williams’ disappointingly bloodless take on Bram Stoker.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “Dracula is a brilliantly bloody addition to the West End. With such a limited run at the Noel Coward Theatre, this material will definitely appeal to audiences who want to take their chance on an innovative piece of theatre this Spring.”
All That Dazzles: *** “There is much to be impressed by, notably Williams’ creativity and the thrilling blend of live theatre and film, as well as the astonishing character-defying performance from Cynthia Erivo. In that respect, Dracula is a show like no other in the West End at the moment, and if you haven’t seen Williams’ adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, you are more likely to be blown away by the surprises and intricacies of this production. Though this adaptation of Dracula certainly doesn’t suck, it is in desperate need of a bit more bite.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: * “Ultimately, one is left with the impression that this is a show you could watch at a cinema and have the exact same experience. In its attempt to be cutting-edge, the production forgets the primary appeal of the theatre: the live, shared presence of actors and audience. For a tale so steeped in dread, this Dracula is curiously sterile, proving that technical brilliance is no substitute for a theatrical pulse.”
The Arts Desk: **** “Throughout Erivo maintains her abundant onscreen and onstage gravitas to transition from sinister to seductive, from brittle dignity to bamboozlement. She brings a more subtly comedic tone to proceedings as she portrays Mina, Jonathan Harker’s wife, and her obsession with the free-spirited Lucy, whose three suitors – including a surprise Texan – shuffle around her like besotted fools. With another actor, the moment where the blonde Lucy, now a vampire, floats through the air before returning to her grave could be absurd, but Erivo imbues the scene with suitable menace. By this point she is also playing the zanily flamboyant vampire hunter, Van Helsing, his flowing white hair and beard accompanied by a suitably missionary zeal.”
The Standard: **** “Shaven-headed, preternaturally physically ripped and androgynous, her expressive hands lengthened into talons by nail extensions, the Wicked star juggles costumes and accents, interacting with onscreen versions of herself in a hectic 120-minute canter through the Gothic tale. Her performance triumphantly walks a knife edge between virtuosity and absurdity.”
West End Best Friend: **** “This is a massive undertaking and a bold move by Kip Williams. While it may not completely pan out in its final form, it remains a noble and exciting proposition, one that wrestles with pacing issues yet offers undeniable artistic and technical richness. It contributes meaningfully to the ongoing conversation about how far technology can and should be integrated into live performance, and where West End theatre may be heading next.”
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