Thursday 2nd February, 2017, at Harrogate Theatre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loosely liken this production from Blackeyed Theatre to watching the metamorphosis of a butterfly – it’s very apt for this analogy to have come to mind of course; Frankenstein does follow the tale of a man slowly but persistently learning how to create a unique creature.There’s a lot to admire here, and Shelley’s story gets a strong outing.
The narrative in this production is framed around Victor being hauled on board a stuck ship (with a simple wooden mast-like structure up stage providing a reminder of this framework throughout), where he tells his tale of creating, abandoning and hunting an abomination. He proceeds to flash back to each key moment leading to the present until the full tale is revealed and the finale takes place.
In truth, Act 1 feels overly long with too much padding early on, but the second act is nothing short of thoroughly gripping. With the rise of the curtain post-interval, the production seems to really come to life and the ferocious, emotionally charged stand-offs between man and monster are absolutely the pinnacle of this production for me. From a lapse in visual spectacle early on to a compelling display of skilful puppetry for almost the entirety of the second act, the show itself suddenly transforms. Having a minimal set with no backdrop but black nothingness is fitting in its own way, but this production in particular needed more in the early stages when the performance falls to periods of static narration (lively and vehement narration, but static nonetheless). I realise that Shelley’s novel does have this same quality but I think the stage adaptation could have remedied some of the winding early narrative with some visual variety.
Under direction of Eliot Giuralarocca, Ben Warwick carries the majority of this production on his shoulders, narrating his journey from ambition to destruction. Victor Frankenstein’s permanent state of charged anxiety is impressively brought into being by the talented Warwick; his portrayal of Frankenstein’s growing psychosis and his self-destruction brought about by driving himself to distraction is never over-played. His nervous energy never wavers as he flits between the many stages leading to Frankenstein’s inevitable cataclysmic end.
It has to be said that Blackeyed Theatre’s Monster is not frightening. Holding back when producing a creature described in such grotesque terms is a wise decision from creator Yvonne Stone – particularly as attempts to capture the real extent of his hideousness could very easily make him ineffectual. What they have created instead is a puppet of stature just beyond human proportion, adorned with the scars of his creation and the ridges of prominent muscle tissue, but he also remains somewhat of a blank canvas in terms of being entirely white and lacking any heavy-handed attempts to portray his other-ness. Creating Shelley’s monster in this way allows the company to humanise him at all the right moments, and it works brilliantly.
The very best thing about this production for me is the ability to bring to life a famous, prominent literary creation in a way which feels fresh. They capture his heartbreak and his indignity in ways which could melt the coldest of hearts and their physical manipulations made him both captivating and credible in that commanding way that puppets can achieve only when handled with skill and precision.
Alongside his strengths as a multi-roller in this production, Louis Labovitch tears at the heartstrings as the voice of Frankenstein’s monster. His performance, along with the careful, perceptive puppetry, make this one of the best examples of puppetry that I’ve seen in recent years. He gives the monster passion and soul, depicting his agonising rejection and abandonment with a voice full of nuance and power. I was absolutely entranced by the monster as he told his tale of woe and I remain wholly impressed by the way Labovitch’s voice embodied that tale.
The cast as a whole are full of conviction and there are great performances from Max Gallagher and Ashley Sean-Cook. Lara Colin embodies the submissive woman archetype very nicely and I was impressed with the way she and the cast brought this dated yet timeless classic to the stage.
This production captures the majesty of Shelley’s eloquent writing and messages in an atmospheric, powerful performance and I definitely recommend it despite my gripes about the first act – I think it’s particularly a must-see for puppetry admirers.
Image credits: Blackeyed Theatre
Always Time For Theatre 