ASTANA — After a week of sold-out performances in London, Kazakh ballet star Bakhtiyar Adamzhan is taking his acclaimed portrayal of Dracula to Scotland. The principal dancer of Astana Opera will perform the title role in Dracula at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre from June 12 to 14, following a successful run at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, where audiences filled the venue throughout the production’s engagement.
Kazakh ballet star Bakhtiyar Adamzhan. Photo credit: Astana Opera Produced by BIG Live, Dracula reimagines Bram Stoker’s legendary character through a blend of classical ballet and contemporary choreography. Created by choreographer Joel Burke, the production combines academic ballet technique with cinematic storytelling, set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, alongside an original score by Jason Fernandez.
At the center of the production is Adamzhan’s portrayal of Dracula not as a conventional villain, but as a tragic figure driven by loss. In this interpretation, Dracula is a 17th-century warrior whose descent into darkness begins after the execution of his beloved wife.
For Adamzhan, the role demands more than technical precision. “Dracula is not a villain in the traditional sense. He is a tragic hero who does not kill for pleasure but seeks revenge for a lost love. To perform this role is to experience another person’s pain,” he said.
The character has become one of the dancer’s most challenging dramatic roles to date. Known for his powerful stage presence and virtuoso technique, Adamzhan brings both physical intensity and emotional depth to the production, balancing moments of explosive energy with restrained vulnerability.
The Edinburgh performances mark the next chapter in an international season that has seen the dancer continue to expand his presence on major stages abroad. A laureate of numerous international ballet competitions, Adamzhan has built a reputation through leading roles across the classical repertoire, from princes and heroes to complex dramatic characters.
Audience demand for Dracula has been strong. Organizers added extra performances in Edinburgh, with five shows now scheduled across June 12–14 at the Festival Theatre, one of Scotland’s leading performing arts venues. As the curtain rises in Edinburgh, Scottish audiences will encounter a ballet that blends gothic romance, tragedy and spectacle and a performer whose interpretation of Dracula has already captured attention in London.