Cynthia Erivo Shrugs Off Online Criticisms About New Dracula Play

Cynthia Erivo has insisted that she’s not letting any of the discussions online about her new play Dracula affect her performance.

The Wicked star is currently appearing in a new West End play based on the iconic Bram Stoker novel, taking on the mammoth task of portraying all 23 characters depicted in the production.

During its previews stage, much was made in the press about Cynthia apparently still using autocue during performances, with the play eventually getting a mixed reception in newly-released reviews.

However, the Oscar nominee has told BBC News that what people have to say about her performance on the internet isn’t something she’s paying all that much attention to.

Cynthia explained: “I’m not paying attention to any of them as no-one knows the experience except me. It’s not for me.

“I have a job to do and I want to do it as well as I can and I want to do it with all my heart. I don’t let the comments take the energy that I should be spending on the stage.”

The British actor conceded that she was “still learning my lines and figuring it out” during her first week of shows, and while Cynthia’s performance has been widely-praised, some reviews from press night acknowledged that there was some “stumbling over her words” and “fumbling” of lines on occasion.

While primarily known for her Oscar-nominated performances in movies like Wicked and Harriet, Cynthia got her start in live theatre, winning a Tony in 2016 for her work in the Broadway musical The Color Purple.

Her new stage venture is directed by Kip Williams, who has previously enjoyed success for his stage adaptations of Jekyll & Hyde and the Olivier-winning The Portrait Of Dorian Gray, the latter of which was also a one-person production starring Succession actor Sarah Snook.

Dracula is playing at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End until Saturday 30 May.