Show: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Society: Furness Youth Theatre
Venue: The Forum
Credits: Rona Munro
Type: Sardines
Author: Graham Whalan
Performance Date: 03/11/2023
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Graham Whalan | 06 Nov 2023 09:49am
Photo: Courtesy of Furness Youth Theatre
Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein and his creation of new life from sundry body parts is generally well-known and has been re-imagined many times. The USP of Rona Munro’s stage adaptation however, apart from closely following Shelley’s original story, is the inclusion of Mary Shelley herself as both a character and narrator within the play. Yet Mary is no detached or impassive narrator – as a constant presence on the stage she engages and involves herself with both her characters and the audience and, by doing so, we are given a fascinating insight both into the creative process and the development of her thinking as the story unfolds.
In Furness Youth Theatre’s current production, Director Chris Loveless has once again managed to elicit the best from his young cast who are faced with the task of conveying intense emotion and melodrama through quite complex and elaborate dialogue. In this respect Maddy Backhouse gives a very convincing portrayal of Mary Shelley, conveying very successfully both her passion and frustration, and indeed her own horror at what she has created. In a similar vein Malika Taylor plays Victor Frankenstein with a chilling sort of intensity as he evolves from a gentle and kind-hearted young man to a rather cold and detached figure, driven only by his obsessive ambition. Then, as the Monster, I thought Joseph Cunningham pitched his performance just right, conveying a constant sense of pain and confusion, menace and threat, which was balanced at times with occasional glimpses of tenderness and vulnerability. This was particularly well done in the scene with blind Peter, innocently played by Max Dean, where we saw the Monster’s pitiful search for a sense of connection with others suddenly take a vicious and murderous turn.
Whilst these 3 characters are chiefly responsible for driving the action forward, they are ably supported by those in more minor roles – who nevertheless, it has to be said, still have much to do. A sweet sense of innocence for example is nicely portrayed by Ace Hart, as the gentle and caring Elizabeth, by Jonah Jepson as Victor’s doomed young brother William, and by Katie Mansell, as Justine the falsely accused servant who stoically accepts her fate. Noah Jepson also gives a solid performance as Henry, Elizabeth’s brother, alongside Victor’s permanently perplexed father, played by Aiden Pearson-Gee.
Although the staging and set for this production may best be described as minimal, a combination of startling sound and lighting effects alongside the emerging skills of these young players proves more than sufficient to create the unsettling atmosphere that this story requires. This is evident from the start when we are transported to the Arctic Sea and the sighting of a mysterious figure on the ice, who turns out to be Victor in pursuit of his horrific creation. Cel Bispham and Nyx Dean, as the ship’s Captain and Master, convey an immediate sense of unease and mystery which then runs through this entire production. I also liked the way that the theatrical space was extended into the audience at times which ensured our engagement with the action.
There is no doubt that this is a demanding piece of theatre by any standard, and it is to everyone’s credit that it succeeds on so many levels. With an age range of 9-16 years FYT certainly offers a mature and workmanlike approach to this material which, containing very adult themes as it does, is probably way out of their comfort zone. All concerned can be very proud of their achievements.
- : admin
- : 03/11/2023