Frankenstein

Published Friday 12 October 2007 at 11:35 by Mary Redman

In the Arctic wastes, the ship’s captain rescuing Nathan Brine’s scientist Victor Frankenstein has the novel idea that the further north he travels, the less ice there is. This mistaken confidence heralds Victor’s equally mistaken idea that he can, without consequences, create new human life in the laboratory.

The retribution caused by Victor’s hubris is swift when religious faith is of little help as an innocent woman is executed for a murder committed by Victor’s creation.

Craig Tonks’ Creature is instantly impressive. Not simply because of his great height, but also the impact of his powerful, deep voice. Tonks, in his first professional performance since leaving E15 this summer, highlights Mary Shelley’s compassion and the Creature’s demands for simple human rights. 

Richard Godin’s atmospheric lighting includes large shadows cast on the back wall. The lightning bolt bringing Victor’s Creature to life is earth-shaking.

Neil Sheppek’s production of this innately fascinating story has major faults. It is very slow, not very audience engaging, and Catriona Craig’s adaptation drags. The production as whole was lost in this 550-seat theatre, not reaching the back wall. More importantly, the Creature’s damaged face is invisible in the gloom. Whenever narrators describe historical experiments from the auditorium, for some strange reason they remain unlit although the house lights come up. The director’s decision to do this instantly smashes the tensions built up in each scene and is intensely irritating to experience, working directly against them by bemusing the audience at the act’s end.