Cape Town City Ballet Brings the Dark Romance of Dracula to Stage

Cape Town City Ballet presents the South African Premiere of David Nixon CBE’s Dracula, a work that has left audiences around the world breathless with its intoxicating blend of beauty, danger, and dramatic storytelling. Set against the backdrop of Victorian England, the novel and ballet adaptation follow the journey of Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor sent to Transylvania to facilitate Count Dracula’s real estate transactions in England. Here’s everything you need to know.

A Classic Gothic Story Reimagined for the Stage

Bram Stoker’s Dracula introduced the world to the legendary vampire Count Dracula and laid the foundations for many of the vampire genre’s most enduring tropes. Drawing on Gothic literature, folklore and Victorian anxieties around science, sexuality and morality, the story has endured for more than a century.

In this ballet adaptation by Cape Town City Ballet, the classic tale is reimagined through movement, music and theatrical design. Set between the refined world of Victorian England and the shadowy landscapes of Transylvania, the ballet follows Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor sent abroad to assist Count Dracula with his English property acquisitions. What begins as a formal business trip quickly transforms into a nightmarish encounter with an ancient force.

As Dracula sets his sights on London, the ballet unfolds into a dramatic exploration of seduction, fear and transformation. Iconic elements such as the haunting female vampires, heightened suspense and ever-present tension between good and evil are brought vividly to life on stage, as Stoker’s dark, atmospheric novel is translated into a visually striking and emotionally charged theatrical experience.

Meet the Cast of Dracula

Sharing the coveted title role for this production are CTCB Principal Leusson Muniz, Zachary Healey and guest artists Jerome Barnes and Lihle Mfene, each bringing their own magnetic presence to the infamous Count. The lead role of Mina will be danced by CTCB Principal ballerina Kirstél Paterson, alongside Hannah Ward, Isabella Blair and Sasha Barnes.

Other dancers in major roles include Hannah Ward, Isabella Blair and Genevieve Magua as Lucy; Zachary Healey, Axton Green and Likhaya Loyiti as Seward; Fanelo Ndweni, Gil Zuntini and Zachary Healy as Harker; Luke Wragg, Elvis Nonjeke and Fanelo Ndweni as Renfield; Jerome Barnes, Caesar Elsner and Gil Zuntini as Arthur; and Axton Green, Lihle Mfene and Caesar Elsner as Van Helsing.

This full-length adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic tale is set to a hauntingly powerful score featuring music by Schnittke, Pärt, Rachmaninoff and Daugherty. Originally created by Nixon for BalletMet USA in 1999 and revived to critical acclaim for Oklahoma Ballet last year, Dracula has become one of his most celebrated narrative ballets, praised for its cinematic sweep, Gothic intensity and daring, athletic choreography.