National Theatre FRANKENSTEIN

[karadinart]

Oh. My. GOD


YOU HAVE TO SEE BENEDICT IN THIS PLAY.


Up there as one of my best theater experiences, and that's the filmed version. While I would have liked to see this live, at least I had this.

(spoilers)

This is really a showcase for the lead actors, if they didn't have the chops for it, the play would drag, much of the appeal is in the staging, which was excellent, sets, lighting and sound, there was not much for secondary cast to do, but they did have good performances overall.

The set is equal parts frozen wasteland and the collection of light bulbs above the stage recreates both lightning/electric current and the working of the synapses of the human brain to wonderful affect. The costuming is nicely understated, so it does not scream 'period drama'

Benedict Cumberbatch was the Creature in this staging, and this reminds you how much of great acting is physicality, the birth scene is stunning, and the Creature teaching himself how to move is enthralling, I don't see a place where you'd want to cut, though it goes long, it is a remarkable tour de force.

The transition from the birth scene was the one cut I would make in this production, a construction like a train literally barrels over the Creature, blaring rock music and actors sing, so for a moment I wondered if I had wandered into the wrong play, because this does not occur anywhere else in the play. (cut it and it would not be missed.)

But at least after this point we see one of the most memorable scenes, when the Creature revels in the natural world, the sunlight, grass and rain, which helps to endear the character to the audience, a fact which never goes away for the rest of the play, you know who's side you are on!

Scenes of the Creature with his blind mentor are very well done, and the laughter in these scenes is a natural reaction to the great delivery from the actors (notably Cumberbatch) the best scenes of the play are the Creature interacting with one other character, so that when we see side characters we almost want them to shoo along.

*note, Creature with his Bride dance scene very evocative, I thought it worked well.

And we wait a long time for Victor, when he does appear (Johnny Lee Miller) it's a bit remarkable to me how by his stance and manner he reminds me of the Creature he's made, we are introduced to the rest of the Frankenstein family, in a prefunctory way, it's all window dressing for Victor to re-discover his Creature.

And this scene works well, because we are slightly surprised by Victor's reaction, pride in what he has made, willing to take credit for the Creature's articulation and intelligence (with whom he had nothing to do) but this gets across his meglomania and drive very well.

I very much wanted to like the character of Elizabeth, (and strangely when she's praising Victor's genius I thought of Cumberbatch's Sherlock and Watson) I guess I could not spend enough time with her to care, after the forceful Creature and Victor, she can only be a pawn between them.

There were a few lines worked in with side players for a bit of comic relief that were not (to my mind needed) particularly Elizabeth's maid, as it threw you right out of the headspace where you were in.

I did enjoy the ending, but did not want it to end. A wonderful staging with the brilliant Cumberbatch and Miller, as soon as it was over I thought, but I want to see it again! (both versions) and again!