Cynthia Erivo addresses complaints after using autocue in early Dracula performance

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo raised eyebrows after initially using an autocue in her performance of Dracula on the West End – but she’s not letting the critics bring her down.

Erivo plays 23 characters in the latest adaptation of Bram Stroker’s Dracula at London’s Noël Coward Theatre, tackling it as a one-woman show. However, her performance was overshadowed during early previews after audience members complained that she still appeared to be learning her lines and relied on an autocue in certain scenes.

Despite the backlash, the 39-year-old film star said that she’s “not paying attention” to the comments, stating: “No-one knows the experience except for me.”

When asked how she dealt with online criticism. Erivo told BBC News on Wednesday (18 February): “For me, I was still learning the lines and I was still figuring it out but bit by bit, it has become something that’s a part of me.”

Erivo – who delivers a 20,000-word monologue on stage – added that she has “a job to do” and wants to do it with “all [her] heart”. She continued: “I don't let the comments take the energy that I should be spending on the stage.”

The West End actor stars as the vampire as well as 22 other roles in the production, which incorporates live camera footage and pre-recorded clips into the performance. Kip Williams is the writer and director behind the show, almost two years on from his Olivier-winning adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray with Succession’s Sarah Snook.

Dracula marks Erivo’s first project since starring as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good – part two of the hit musical’s film adaptation. She received an Oscar nod for her performance in the first film in 2024, but was snubbed by the Academy last year for her performance in the sequel.

While Erivo picked up a Golden Globe nomination for the role, she skipped the ceremony in January to focus on rehearsals for Dracula. It’s far from her first theatre role, with the actor starring in Sister Act’s UK Tour, Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl and The Color Purple on Broadway – earning her a Tony Award in 2016.

She has also appeared in comedy-drama Poker Face, sitcom Broad City, ITV drama Mr Selfridge and even Strictly Come Dancing as a guest judge last year.

Ariana Grande cheered on her Wicked co-star on Wednesday, posting a picture of her in the play. “Congratulations my brilliant, unstoppable friend,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.