When Sydney Theatre Company debuted Dracula in 2024, it didn’t just reimagine Bram Stoker’s gothic tale, it reinvented how we experience live performance. Directed by Kip Williams, the production became the latest in his trilogy of 'cine-theatre' works, a form that merges live acting with real-time video and pre-recorded footage, for an immersive experience that straddles the line between film and theatre.
Now, Dracula is heading to London’s West End for its UK premiere in February 2026, and none other than Cynthia Erivo stepping into the lead. Known for her powerhouse presence both on stage and screen, Erivo will take on the immense task of performing all 23 characters in the production.
“Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I’ve been craving for a long time,” she said in a statement. “This show will ask everything of me – and I’m ready to give it.”
Originally performed in Sydney by Zahra Newman — who now joins the London team as dramaturg — Dracula builds on the success of Williams’ earlier works, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, both of which used cine-theatre to explore identity, transformation, and control.
Erivo’s West End appearance follows the release of Wicked: Part One, marking her first stage role in nearly a decade. “From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind,” she said. “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."
Expressing a similar sentiment, Williams said, "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 [Stoker] spent so much of his creative life.”
When does Dracula premiere on the West End?
he show, which is co-produced by Michael Cassel Group and Kindred Partners, will premiere in February 2026 at the Noël Coward Theatre — the same venue that staged Williams’ Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, which won two Olivier Awards and is currently nominated for six Tonys on Broadway.
