Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, the internationally acclaimed ballet star, principal dancer of the Astana Opera, and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, is set to perform the title role in the premiere of Dracula at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre from 12 to 14 June. This follows a highly successful week in London (2–7 June), where the pride of Kazakh ballet captivated audiences at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, performing to packed houses throughout the run.
The Edinburgh leg of the tour begins today, 12 June. Due to exceptional public demand, the producers have added extra performances, ensuring the run continues through to 14 June.
Dracula, produced by BIG Live, departs from traditional classical ballet conventions, opting instead for dark romanticism and cinematic narrative drive. Choreographer Joel Burke has fused academic ballet with contemporary movement, set to a musical tapestry incorporating works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, complemented by an original score from Jason Fernandez.
Yet the true focal point of London’s ballet week was Bakhtiyar Adamzhan. He took on the title role of Dracula, described as the ‘immortal vampire lord and tragic architect of his own doom’. According to the libretto, this iteration of Dracula is a former 17th-century warrior who bartered his soul after the Church unjustly executed his beloved wife. With his striking physique, commanding restraint, and the explosive power of his leaps, Adamzhan crafted a portrayal that London audiences described as genuinely spine-chilling.
Today, 12 June, marks the beginning of the story’s Edinburgh chapter. Tonight, the historic Festival Theatre, one of Scotland’s premier arts venues, will host the first of five scheduled performances. Such was the exceptional public demand that producers BIG Live were compelled to schedule additional dates; Adamzhan will now grace the Edinburgh stage on 12, 13, and 14 June.
From a young age, Bakhtiyar Adamzhan has been driven to prove that talent is bound by neither geography nor illustrious titles. Behind him lies a string of brilliant victories in numerous prestigious international competitions, alongside principal roles spanning the entire canonical repertoire. Now, he adds to these achievements an English Dracula that has taken the whole of London by storm.
Reflecting on the role, Adamzhan notes that his Dracula is not a villain; he is a tragic hero who does not kill for pleasure, but seeks vengeance for his lost love. “To perform this role is to intimately experience another’s pain,” the principal explains.
While London audiences have already experienced their share of this theatrical catharsis, tonight the baton passes to Edinburgh. For the Scottish public, this evening represents not only the premiere of the ballet itself, but a personal introduction to the mastery of Bakhtiyar Adamzhan in the title role. When the Kazakh principal shares the stage with the finest British dancers and draws sold-out crowds in major cultural capitals, it is, without question, a profound source of national pride.