right|thumb|upright|Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula in the 1931 film Dracula The story of Dracula has been the basis for numerous films and plays. Stoker himself wrote the first theatrical adaptation, which was presented at the Lyceum Theatre on 18 May 1897 under the title Dracula, or The Undead shortly before the novel's publication and performed only once, in order to establish his own copyright for such adaptations. Although the manuscript was believed lost, the British Library possesses a copy. It consists of extracts from the novel's galley proof with Stoker's own handwriting providing direction and dialogue attribution.
right|thumb|upright|Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula in the 1931 film Dracula The story of Dracula has been the basis for numerous films and plays. Stoker himself wrote the first theatrical adaptation, which was presented at the Lyceum Theatre on 18 May 1897 under the title Dracula, or The Undead shortly before the novel's publication and performed only once in order to establish his own copyright for such adaptations. Although the manuscript was believed lost, the British Library possesses a copy. It consist,s of extracts from the novel's galley proof with Stoker's own handwriting providing direction and dialogue attribution.