A Monster Unfinished

More than two hundred years after its publication, the story of Frankenstein still has much to offer theatre audiences, particularly in macabre 2020.
In May, we streamed London’s National Theatre Live Frankenstein and found ourselves captivated by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller as they alternated the roles of Victor Frankenstein and his creature.

Equally enjoyable was A Monster Unfinished, devised and performed by the Senior IMPACT Ensemble under the direction of Ari Palani and Steve Pirie, which brought a refreshing Gen Z dimension to the gothic tale.

This play was inspired by the true events of Mary Shelley’s life, who at age 18 penned the fiction during plague, war, isolation and the looming fear that accompanied the Year Without Summer.

The teenage ensemble embraced these parallels with our current situation by exploring the original text and developing a work with the message of finding yourself, facing challenges, and becoming stronger.

The play presented scenes from Frankenstein and of Mary Shelley on that famously dreary afternoon in Geneva, where she stayed with her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, their friend Lord Byron, physician John Polidori and an irrepressible servant girl, Claire. The group, trapped indoors by the inclement weather, passed the time telling and writing ghost stories.

These scenes are interspersed with those of a modern-day school musical afterparty, where 17-year-olds drink profusely, argue emphatically and reflect cynically on their school years and impending “NADA” future outside of the safe confines of the classroom.

The 12 ensemble members demonstrated lashings of talent, energy and confidence, and each earnt their moment in the spotlight.

For me, the standout scene was undoubtedly claimed by Dariel Suri and Ben Anderson, who provided an almost flawless performance of the wilderness confrontation between Frankenstein and his sapient creature. Dariel’s beautifully enunciated soliloquy gave me chills.

Ma-Janneh Sandra Miller was an intelligent and graceful Mary Shelley, and Elisabeth Stanfield won hearts with her sassy portrayal of Lord Byron.

Addisyn Herndon, Isabella Apalais, Zoe Bartley, Tim James, Cosme McPhie, Jack Mullins, Ben Rosenberg and Jack Waters laced great character performances with humour and angst.

Clever lighting and sound effects by Ben Hunt added to the sombre atmosphere. 

Now in its 10th year, IMPACT has once again provided this demographic with the means to express and empower themselves in a climate with more challenges than we – and perhaps even the astoundingly insightful Mary Shelley – could have foreseen.

Madeleine Tiller