Frankenstein

A thought provoking, sensory experience.

When I agreed to review The Q’s Frankenstein, I was intrigued by the show’s description of a cross-disciplinary performance, using a live musical score, text from Mary Shelley’s original novel and parts of the classic film to retell a tale of doom and destruction.

Not having had a lot of exposure to contemporary theatre (I am more of a musical kind of gal), I didn’t know what to expect and wondered if I would find it weird or if I would even understand it.

Walking into the intimate studio to be seated for the performance, I found myself in a haze filled room with “Monster Mash” playing in the background. I wondered if my initial thoughts were right. With the set hidden behind a heavy, blue curtain, I still had no idea what to expect. As the show started, the audience sat in darkness and a few moments of complete silence before eerie music and sounds started playing, reminding me of a mad professor at work in a dark laboratory. This made me feel very uneasy and given the title of the show, I was waiting for some hideous monster to jump out at me.

Gradually a light grew behind the curtain and a sterile, white and fairly minimalist set was revealed, again reminding me of a science lab. The music changed into something quite beautiful - delicately played on a live piano by composer Paul Smith. My first impressions quickly changed as I was amazed by the brilliance of the composer and the thoughts and feelings the power of music and sound can provoke.

Digital artist, Ryan McGoldrick cleverly continued to build the story using modern technology including video cameras and projections. After about five minutes of relying on sight and sound to understand the story, actor Michelle Robin Anderson began retelling the more “meatier” parts of Shelley’s book through a series of monologues. These were from the point of view of a student working for Dr Frankenstein, The Creature and Frankenstein himself. Subtle changes in Michelle’s costume or position on stage let the audience know when she was representing a different character.

Michelle’s performance was captivating giving an insight into the thoughts and emotions of the characters and evoking a certain empathy for both Dr Frankenstein and The Creature. I don’t think I have ever seen an audience sit so still and silently. Not one person even looked at their phone (a rarity!). The music and visual elements added to Michelle’s story telling helped convey drama, destruction, hate and doom, fear and desperation.

Overall, Frankenstein was a thought provoking and sensory experience, intelligently devised and directed.

Going into this performance, it helped having some knowledge of the story of Frankenstein. Having studied the movie at university, I brushed up on the plot, characters and themes beforehand.

Mary Shelley wrote the original novel at the dawn of Europe’s industrialisation. Technology was advancing at a dizzying pace and her book raised questions around what responsibilities humans have to each other and how far can we go in tampering with nature. The Q’s production further examined these themes which are just as relevant today given the rapid speed at which technology and science continue to advance. Are we breaking the bounds of life and death? Are we creating our own generation of mini Frankensteins? Who is in control and what happens when you hate your creation?

The other thing to appreciate about this production is the creative process behind it. There is no script for this show. The creative team used a technique known as “devising” where everyone works together to shape the direction of the show. Starting with just the book of Frankenstein and the movie adaptations, the performers and director tested out what would happen if they began the show with each different medium - music, speech/text and digital - until they found an order that worked and the piece came together.

The Q is a resident theatre making program based at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre with Frankenstein the third production in its The Brave New Work series. This was not something I would normally choose to see, but I am glad I experienced it.

If you enjoy contemporary theatre, love the science fiction or gothic genres or are up for something new and different (and can still get a ticket) go along and support these talented artists.

Shannon O’Connell