There is one way to compromise a dramatic tale of obsession gone horribly askew that features impressive staging. Get the sound mix wrong. Unfortunately, that was the case at the premiere of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The music totally overwhelmed the opening number and did so again during parts of Act II. So much so that I couldn’t make out what the actors were saying. A real pity, for a great deal of effort has clearly gone into this highly creative production.
The story is that of Victor Frankenstein and the hideous looking creature he creates from body parts. Frankenstein, the beloved son of a distinguished family, travels from Geneva to Bavaria to study philosophy and chemistry. With him is his childhood friend Henry Clerval, a personable art and literature student. Frankenstein immerses himself in anatomical studies and ancient texts, becoming increasingly isolated. He crosses the line when he begins farming limbs and organs from their burial place and constructs a deformed monster. Horrified, Frankenstein immediately abandons the hapless creature.
It is a tragic turn of events that will see Frankenstein’s life and that of his loved ones forever impacted. The monster seeks to track down Frankenstein. The former lives in the shadows, cruelly treated and shunned. Desperate for companionship, when that appeal is ultimately rejected, the creature seeks revenge. Having been rescued in icy arctic waters, Frankenstein tells his cautionary tale to a ship’s captain, an intrepid adventurer, determined to plough on.
Shake & Stir Theatre Co continues its tradition of reinterpreting classic literature – in this case Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – for the modern stage. Nelle Lee, co-Artistic Director of Shake & Stir is responsible for this adaptation. Digital excellence is its hallmark, with five video panels expertly transporting us across time and place. Video design is by Craig Wilkinson, with overall design, which also distinguishes the piece, the work of Josh McIntosh.
In one of many memorable scenes, sparks literally fly as the creature is born. Dramatic music and sound by composer Guy Webster are commendable, but they lose their lustre when they overwhelm the action. The portent of doom is there from when one enters the theatre and glimpses a thick fog that envelopes the stage. Trent Suidgeest adds to the atmospherics throughout with his moody lighting design.
Frankenstein spiral into the abyss, his moral wretchedness well captured by Darcy Brown. In a strong, physical role, Jeremiah Wray – aided by Steven Boyle’s make-up design – is the personification of anguish and retribution. They are ably complemented by the other four actors, who play multiple parts with conviction. Tony Cogin is Frankenstein’s kind-hearted father, Alphonse. He is also a blind old man, De Lacey, who lives in exile in the forest with his two children and whom the creature befriends.
Nick James is determined Captain Robert Walton, Frankenstein’s effusive friend, Henry and De Lacey’s son, Felix. Anna Lise Phillips is the family’s devoted maid, Justine and De Lacey’s daughter Agatha. Chloe Zuel is Frankenstein’s long-suffering love interest, Elizabeth, an orphan the family adopted and Frankenstein’s younger brother, William.
While I was unquestionably enveloped by the narrative, I felt prudent pruning of the storyline would have been beneficial. Still, Shake & Stir’s Frankenstein, directed by the company’s founding member and co-Artistic Director Nick Skubij, provides a fair share of surprises and thrills. It is playing at Princess Theatre until 1st September, 2024.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Frankenstein (shake & stir) – theatre review
- Fourteen (shake & stir) – theatre review
- Jane Eyre (shake & stir) – theatre review
Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
