Directed by Mark Kilmurry
Ensemble Theatre production at The Street Theatre
May 7 -11, 2013
Reviewed by Len Power 7 May 2013
‘No man is a monster’, cries the creature at the centre of
Nick Dear’s re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s classic story, ‘Frankenstein’. He’s wrong of course. Despite being an intelligent creature in this
version, his outward appearance still shocks and frightens those he comes into
contact with. The way we treat the
creature makes us the monster.
Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ must be one of the most
well-known stories ever written - maybe not from the novel itself, which is a
fascinating read, by the way - but from the numerous film versions made of the
tale since cinema began. Nick Dear’s
play commences with the ‘birth’ of the creature, correctly assuming we all know
how he was pieced together and brought to life by Dr. Frankenstein.
In a towering performance, Lee Jones is genuinely
frightening and confronting in his physical depiction of a manufactured but
imperfect human being. With arms and
legs flailing, horrific facial contortions and unnerving vocals, the actor
commands both fear and pity in the audience.
Escaping from the laboratory, the creature is taken in by a kindly blind
man and educated over a three year period.
What emerges is a still physically imperfect but highly intelligent
person with a thirst for knowledge and understanding. The problem is that people of the time are
unable to see anything but the frightening physical appearance of the creature
and continue to treat him as if he was an animal.
Nick Dear’s play was a huge hit for the National Theatre in
London in 2011. Taking incidents from
the original novel and also from the famous films and embellishing them with
his own ideas, Nick Dear has created an exciting and thought-provoking
play. Although played in period, this
treatment of the story makes us question how we react to people with severe
disabilities in our supposedly enlightened times.
The Ensemble Theatre production from Sydney creates an exciting
evening of theatre. On a spare but
well-designed set by Simone Romaniuk and with atmospheric lighting by Nick
Higgins, director Mark Kilmurry has produced an imaginatively staged and
beautifully acted, thought-provoking and entertaining production. His cast of eight, some playing multiple
roles, give very sharp characterizations.
Sound is also an important aspect of this production. A standout theatrical moment is the creation
of the sound of a crackling open-air fire, which is provided simply but very
effectively by two cast members in full view of the audience. The live music score by Elena Kats-Chernin is
played beautifully on a solo cello by Heather Stratfold and provides a
soundscape that complements the onstage action perfectly.
Since I saw this production, I can’t stop thinking about
it. When that happens, I know I’ve seen
a truly remarkable piece of theatre.
Originally broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Dress Circle’ program
on Sunday 12 May 2013
