Dracula review

 

Most people have a working knowledge of the Dracula story- or do they? There have been so many iterations, adaptations and interpretations of Bram Stoker’s novel, first published in 1897, that many of us are largely unaware of what the original book is like. This daring production aims goes back to the source while also utilising strikingly modern production techniques and an amazing performance by Cynthia Erivo to takes the audience deep into those gothic pages.

Running at the Noel Coward Theatre from 4 February until 30 May, Dracula is adapted and directed by Kip Williams and features Wicked star Cynthia Erivo- and nobody else! Yes, she plays all twenty-three characters as well as narrating the text of the story in the diary format of the original. It’s a remarkable feat of endurance (though she also managed to complete a marathon during the run) yet like the best artistry looks effortless. It takes a very special sort of performer to convince us she is such a range of people, male and female, with minimal costume changes and while being constantly followed around the stage by cameras and lights yet she achieves it.

Since the likes of War Horse pioneered the idea of seeing what would normally be backstage crew on the stage its something audiences are more used to now. So after a short while you stop noticing the one or two cameramen and lighting technicians who shadow Cynthia’s performance as she uses the stage. The latter is sparsely decorated for the most part using effectively simple props and symbols to underscore the story. An arrangement of coffins and crosses is especially striking.  

The action starts without fanfare as a leotard clad Cynthia Erivo walks onto the bare stage and lies down underneath a screen which shows her from above. Over the following two hours she morphs seamlessly from one person to another with the help of some straightforward accoutrements to differentiate them as well as using her agile vocals skills. Sometimes she interacts with pre recorded sequences, other time the screens are showing her live on stage. This allows the audience to pick up the nuances of her expressive face. So she is acting directly to the theatre, moving to preordained stage directions, interacting with visuals and telling the story. It’s a complex challenge; maybe a marathon felt simple by comparison!

All this creates the effect of the book coming to life yet at the same time keeping it’s literary origins. In a way it seems like what reading a novel is like- with flashes of imagery coming into your head, a different experience to that of a film or tv adaptation. The transitions are seamless and the lighting manages often to hide the dimensions of the screen leading to some very striking moments. As the narrative becomes more extreme so do the visual leaning into the horror of the tale and the bloody implications. Somehow the production seems both traditional and modern at once. The results ate breathtaking theatre with elements of dance and mime woven through, perhaps not surprising given William’s background in opera as well as plays. The show brews up feverish fear, sensual desire, creeping dread and a lot more. Occasionally it even has a fantastical atmosphere. One moment we see versions of other familiar later versions of Dracula, all portrayed on screen by the actor. In another gasp out loud sequence, she appears to fly across the stage like a spectre.

Stoker’s story is of course a classic for a reason yet there have been few interpretations gifted the presence of a performer such as Cynthis Erivo. Her striking appearance suits the mood the director and the text. She is an incredibly subtle actor, who can convey very clearly and powerfully as she chooses. It is a mesmeric stage performance as she becomes narrator, participant and interpreter in one go. She seems to enjoy inhabiting some of the supporting cavalcade who bolster the story and there is room for some light humour too plus a variety of accents. She even sings briefly in the snow near the end bringing a surprising additional tone to the conclusion.

There may be an argument for a slightly less busy format if only to allow the performer and the visuals to breathe a little more- the slower paced sections in the second part of the narrative benefit in this way. Early on is like a white knuckle ride as you focus on the words and maybe overlook some of the exquisite images or acting choices because there is so much going on. An interval might benefit everyone too and if you imagine that would ruin the atmosphere, then the night I was there Cynthia appeared to sustain an injury of some kind which necessitated stopping the show for about ten minutes. Yet as soon as she came back on to complete it, we were right back at the heat of things.

Dracula is a story which requires the extreme, it needs melodrama and a heightened mood. This version may not be for everyone- you have to concentrate on the text which Cynthia speaks quickly so it will fit into an hour fifty minute run rime- yet if you’re willing to be drawn into the macabre or the innovative then this is a must see. Its a bold, stunning piece of stagecraft. Hurry though, this Dracula will turn into smoke in under a month’s time!