What Do the Reviews Think of Cynthia Erivo-Led Dracula in London?

The solo adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel is directed by Kip Williams in the style of his earlier The Picture of Dorian Gray.

February 18, 2026 By Margaret Hall

Cynthia Erivo in *Dracula* (Daniel Boud)

The Cynthia Erivo–led production of Dracula has officially opened in the West End, and the reviews are rolling in!

The production opened February 17, after beginning its preview period at London's Noël Coward Theatre February 7. The production is scheduled run through May 31 for a limited 16-week engagement.

Kip Williams, who oversaw Sarah Snook in the solo show The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway last year, directs the production, which he also adapted. Like Dorian Gray, the production casts Erivo in every role in Bram Stoker's classic tale. Williams previously told Playbill that this Dracula will be a "queer retelling of the story, and we are looking at reclaiming the vampire.”

Read the reviews below.

The Financial Times (Sarah Hemming)

The Guardian (Arifa Akbar)

iNews (Fiona Mountford)

The Independent (Alice Saville)

The New York Times (Houman Barekat)*

The Stage (Sam Marlowe)*

The Standard (Nick Curtis)

The Telegraph (Dominic Cavendish)

Time Out (Andrzej Lukowski)

The Times (Clive Davis)

WhatsOnStage (Sarah Crompton)

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

Erivo previously said of starring in Dracula: “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 honored 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.”

Dracula reunites Williams with much of his Dorian Gray creative team, including Tony-winning designer Marg Horwell, lighting designer Nick Schlieper, and composer Clemence Williams. They will be joined by sound designer Jessica Dunn, video designer Craig Wilkinson, and dramaturg Zahra Newman.

Visit DraculaWestEnd.com.