FANS of Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo were delighted when they heard the Wicked star was hitting the West End, but have been left demanding refunds after watching her perform in the flesh.
The A-list actress is currently starring in one-woman show Dracula at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End, which kicked off last week and sees her playing a whopping 23 characters.
However, it seems that Cynthia may have bitten off more than she can chew with the vamp role – as fans have scrutinised her for “reading off of the teleprompter” throughout.
The show is filled with complex filmed sections, which means the autocue is clearly visible on massive screens throughout.
Taking to TikTok to share their frustration, one audience member wrote: “Did I just pay £135 to watch Cynthia Erivo read off a teleprompter?”
Agreeing in the comment section of the clip, another said: “The show was rubbish. After arguing with the ticket office I got a refund.”
As one theatre-lover asked whether the teleprompter could really be seen from the audience, the original poster responded: ” Saw it with my own eyes unfortunately.
“As did many people in my section who were confused why there were multiple”.
Another user slammed: “Why play 20 roles if you know you can’t memorise a script consisting of 20 roles”.
The early reviews of the show will be a blow after the production budget was believed to be north of £3million, while tickets are as much as £225.
However, it’s not all bad for the Elphaba star, with some fans lauding her performance.
“I was at the first preview and it was genuinely the most incredible thing. Cynthia was epic!!,” said one fan after watching Dracula.
Another said: “My mind was blown”.
A third defended her use of the teleprompter, asking: “Did you want her to memorize 20 thousand words?”
Cynthia is no stranger to the West End and has even won a Tony award for her stage work.
In 2016, the actress won the gong for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal Celie in the revival of The Color Purple.
Cynthia is set to star in Dracula until 31 May.