Florence Pugh sightings have been few and far between in recent months, but on Tuesday night she made a brief return to the red carpet for the opening night of Dracula at London’s Noël Coward Theatre: an ambitious theatrical feat which sees Cynthia Erivo ditching the Elphaba green to play all 23 characters.
The press night attracted a starry crowd, with guests presumably torn between a night at the theatre and a quick detour to Charli XCX’s The Moment premiere, which was taking place just down the road at London’s most talked-about no-phones-allowed club, Lost. Pugh decided on Dracula, opting for a gothic Patou look that felt appropriately vampy. Florence’s black dress also had a subtle equine print—perhaps a nod to the arrival of the Year of the Horse.
Over the years, the actress’s style has evolved from English rose in Erdem to Old Hollywood via Valentino, with a healthy dose of naked dressing thrown in for good measure. Paired with a septum piercing and a dark lip, last night’s choice points to a more vampy direction for the actress. Gothic romance has been having a moment recently, thanks to Wuthering Heights. The red carpet has been awash with Dilara Findikoglu corsetry and bodice-ripping McQueen moments, courtesy of Margot Robbie and the goth girl of the moment, Charli XCX. When the red carpets are as sensual and darkly romantic as they are, Florence Pugh just had to pop back in.