3 days ago
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Cynthia Erivo looked worlds away from Wicked in the first official photo for her new one-woman show Dracula in London's West End.
The actress, 39, is making a return to the stage following a disastrous press tour for the fantasy films, which saw her co-star Ariana Grande, 32, ridiculed over their 'creepy' behaviour.
Cynthia is sinking her teeth into the role of Dracula and 22 other characters in the unique adaptation of Bram Stoker's iconic novel at the Noel Coward Theatre.
In the gothic snap the actress can be seen with a red wig styled into finger waves while also sporting a pair of fans and her trademark acrylic fingernails.
No stranger to the West End Cynthia made her debut in The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg back in 2011, before winning the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in The Colour Purple.
She recreated that award-winning role for the Broadway production and scooped the Best Actress In A Musical Tony in 2016.
Cynthia Erivo looked worlds away from Wicked in the first official photo for her new one-woman show Dracula in London's West End
The actress, 39, is making a return to the stage following a disastrous press tour for the fantasy film, which saw her co-star Ariana Grande, 32, ridiculed over their 'creepy' behaviour
Cynthia could finally start to receive the glory she deserves in her new one-woman following a disastrous Wicked press tour.
Since the release of Wicked in 2024 and its sequel last year, she and Ariana have been lambasted with criticism over their behaviour during the promo blitz.
Cynthia, who starred as Elphaba, and Ariana, as Glinda, were snubbed of an Oscar nomination this season despite the rave reviews the movie has received.
The pair's viral and overly affectionate press tour displays are allegedly why Oscar voters snubbed the pair after feeling 'creeped out'.
In addition to their 'cringeworthy' red carpet moments, the actresses' noticeable weight loss was called out by concerned fans.
After the actress' movie success was overshadowed by press tour missteps, fears for Cynthia's reputation heightened when the first few performances of her West End play were cancelled.
Thankfully, the play is set to debut last Saturday (February 7) and is set to continue playing until May 31.
Originally due to start on February 4, producers cancelled the first three nights of her one-woman play due to production delays.
Cynthia is sinking her teeth into the role of Dracula and 22 other characters in the unique adaptation of Bram Stoker's iconic novel at the Noel Coward Theatre
Cynthia won 2013 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in The Colour Purple, before going on to win a 2016 Tony (pictured) after taking the show to Broadway
The complicated technical nature of the production led to the initial preview cancellations, with communications to existing customers saying: 'As Dracula moves through the final stages of preparation, the technical scale of the production has demanded additional time to ensure audiences experience this story exactly as it is intended.'
Speaking about her upcoming roles, the actress said: 'Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I've been craving for a long time.
'To do so with a story as rich, complex, and haunting as DRACULA offers a beautiful opportunity to delve into character, into myth, and into the heart of what makes us human.
'From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip's vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto.
'It's a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece, and I'm honoured to do it for West End audiences in this extraordinary production.
Since the release of Wicked in 2024 and its sequel last year, she and Ariana have been lambasted with criticism over their behaviour during the promo blitz
'The prospect of doing this show scares me and I know it will be a huge challenge. This show will ask everything of me — and I'm ready to give it.'
Fury surrounding Ariana and Cynthia's Oscar snub sparked one anonymous voter to reveal the reason behind it.
Oscar voters were allegedly put off by the pair's overly affectionate press tour displays - according to News Nation.
'The movie wasn’t that great. The two have amazing on-screen chemistry but spent most of the movie apart,' the voter told the outlet's Paula Froelich.
It was added: 'I was also just completely turned off by their promotional performances. They creeped a lot of people out and in their rush to feel authentic, came off as cosplaying.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives from The Academy over these claims and has yet to hear back.
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