Cynthia Erivo furious over claims of teleprompters on ‘Dracula’ show
Cynthia Erivo has mocked the way she relies on a teleprompter during performances of the West End stage adaptation of Dracula – but sources have told RadarOnline.com the Bad The actress is privately ‘furious’ about critics who are biting into her.
Erivo, 39, is currently starring in a new theatrical adaptation by Bram Stoker Dracula at the Noël Coward Theater in London, where she performs an ambitious solo version of the gothic tale, playing 23 characters throughout the show.
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Cynthia Erivo tackles epic 20,000-word monologue
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Cynthia Erivo returned to the stage in a demanding new production of ‘Dracula.’
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Directed by Kip Williams, the production combines live camerawork with pre-recorded footage and is built around a 20,000-word monologue provided by Erivo.
The performance marks her first major stage role since appearing as Elphaba in the movie musical Bad: foreverafter the success of the first episode of the Bad adjustment in 2024.
Erivo, who won a Tony Award in 2016 for The color purplereturned to the theater after a busy period in film and television, including performances in Poker face, Broad city, And Mr. Selfridge.
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Star addresses the reactions on social media about previews
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The actress played 23 characters during the performance.
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Erivo has now addressed the online criticism surrounding the previews, saying she was focusing on the work rather than the reaction.
She said: “For me, I was still learning the lyrics and I was still working on it, but little by little it has become something that is a part of me. I don’t let the comments take up the energy that I should be spending on stage.”
Audience members pay up to $300 per seat. Some of those who attended early preview performances had posted online suggesting that the actress appeared to be looking at a teleprompter in certain scenes after blowing up her lines.
But some critics speculated that the device was used to help navigate the script’s dense narrative and multiple character shifts, which require Erivo to move quickly between voices and perspectives.
A source close to the production said the response continues to frustrate the performer, who has balanced the challenge of the lengthy script with the technical demands of the staging.
The insider said: “Cynthia was furious and annoyed at the suggestion that she couldn’t handle the material. Anyone who understands the scale of the performance knows it’s a monumental task – it’s essentially a marathon of storytelling.”
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High Stakes Staging combines live action and film
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Some viewers claimed that Erivo was watching a teleprompter during previews.
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Another industry source said the criticism fails to recognize how preview periods function in theater.
“Previews are exactly where actors fine-tune timing, rhythm and memorization. Cynthia speaks more than 20,000 words while switching between 23 characters – that’s an extraordinary feat by any standard,” the insider said.
Erivo said she remained focused on the performance itself and not the online reaction.
She emphasized, “No one knows the experience but me.”
Erivo added that the show continues to evolve each night as she becomes more comfortable with the material and pace of the performance.
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Ariana Grande praised the show after attending a performance.
The actress described the role as a major artistic challenge and emphasized the commitment required to deliver the show every night. She added that she “has a job to do” and that she wants to do it with “all her heart.”
The production comes almost two years after Williams’ critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Dorian Gray’s photostarring Sarah Snook and winning an Olivier Award.
His new version of Dracula builds on the same multimedia storytelling style, combining live acting on stage with projected images. Erivo’s return to the theater also receives support from fellow artists.
Ariana Grande, 32, her co-star from the Bad films, praised the performance in a social media post after attending the show. Grande wrote on Instagram: “Congratulations my brilliant, unstoppable friend.”
