Stage Door News

London, UK: Stratford actor James Daly will play Dracula in London

Monday, January 13, 2025

Initial casting has been announced for the previously reported U.K. premiere of Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen's Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors, the comic, gender-bending reimagining of Bram Stoker's horror classic that will make its U.K. premiere in March at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Also directed by Greenberg, previews will begin March 8 prior to an official opening March 17 for a limited engagement through May 3.

The cast will be led by James Daly, reprising the role of Dracula he played Off-Broadway. Daly most recently played Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles and Martin in Wendy & Peter Pan at the Stratford Festival, Canada. Daly is joined by Safeena Ladha as Lucy Westfeldt, Dianne Pilkington as Dr. Westfeldt, and Charlie Stemp as Jonathan Harker.

Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors features a Gen Z pansexual Count Dracula in the midst of an existential crisis. The 90-minute comedy is set in Transylvania, where Jonathan Harker, a meek English estate agent, journeys to meet a new and mysterious client: Count Dracula. When the Count sets his sights on Harker’s fiancé, earth scientist Lucy Westfeldt, he meets his match for the first time—as well as a slew of other colorful characters.

The upcoming production will also have set design by Tijana Bjelajac, costume design by Tristan Raines, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, and sound design by Yvonne Gilbert.

The Monty Python-style send-up of the Stoker work concluded a limited engagement at Off-Broadway's New World Stages in January 2024

The Menier Chocolate Factory produces in association with Drew & Dane Productions.

For more information visit www.menierchocolatefactory.com

From Andrew Gans for playbill.com.

Photo: James Daly as Dracula. © 2023 Matthew Murphy.