There was another two-star review from the Guardian’s Arifa Akbar, external, who said the show’s atmosphere is “sedate”, with “no peril whatsoever”.
“The story is narrated by Erivo, with only snippets in dialogue,” she explained, “which gives the sense of an audiobook accompanied by screen illustrations.”
The Daily Mail’s Patrick Marmion described it, external as a “wickedly good” adaptation, although only awarded it three stars overall.
“Over a very long and testing two hours and five minutes – unrelieved by the mercy of an interval – [Erivo] gives an astonishing performance,” he said.
Dracula is a “soul-sapping affair”, according to Sarah Crompton of WhatsOnStage,, external who said: “It’s slick, soulless and all about appearances. There’s no jeopardy or really any true drama.”
The show’s use of technology was “deeply unsatisfying and at points very frustrating” for City AM’s Adam Bloodworth. , external
“I didn’t come here to watch a film about Dracula, I came here to watch a live show,” he said. “The production disassociates you with much of the feeling and heft of live performance.”
Olivia Garrett of the Radio Times agreed, external the show is “let down by overproduction” in a three-star review, adding: “Like Dracula himself, this production sits stranded in the middle, not dead, not alive, but somewhere in between.”
There was more enthusiasm from the Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish,, external who described Dracula as “an incredible feat of endurance” that “raises the stakes for British theatre”.
“The British actress proves any doubters wrong,” he said in his four-star review. “This isn’t a flawless night but it’s a tour de force even so.”
Additional reporting by Steven McIntosh.