Frankenstein at the National

Frankenstein; NT Live / Greenwich Picture House 120 minutes

The monster is reborn

My mother sounded puzzled when I told her that we were going to the cinema to see a play. The production of Frankenstein, a new play by Nick Dear, loosely based on the nineteenth century novel by Mary Shelley, is the latest in a series of collaborations - which has already included Phedre (Helen Mirren) and King Lear (Derek Jacobi) - whereby theatres, here The National, broadcast live productions simultaneously to cinemas around the globe. It is a marvellous idea bringing hitherto inaccessible productions to our doorstep.

Danny Boyle, returning to theatre after cinematic success with Slumdog and 127 Hours, injects fresh new blood into a tried and tested old tale with imaginative staging, thoughtful use of lighting and most significantly a new perspective. Rather than Dr Frankenstein, we are shown the world through the eyes of the monster. We look on as he bursts into life breaking through a translucent membrane, bloody and naked, groaning and writhing like a fish out of water. We follow his education, from a kindly, intelligent, but significantly, blind, old man (beautifully played by Karl Johnson) who teaches the creature to talk, read and think for himself. Finally, we see the creature struggling with his conscience, knowing what is right but desperate for revenge.

Boyle pushes his actors as hard as he stretches the story. Benedict Cumberbatch (best known for his recent TV portrayal of Sherlock Holmes) and Jonny Lee Miller alternate nightly between monster and creator. While demanding for the actors and intriguing for the audience, this novel idea gives each a better understanding of the other’s perspective and both seem to benefit. Cumberbatch (as the monster) is exceptional; empathetic and touching and yet simmering with power. This tall, elegant and confident young man is surely destined for greater things. Miller is also good, persuasively suggesting a man obsessed with the desire to play God. Their chemistry together and strong on stage presence more than compensate for a disappointing support cast - Naomi Harris as Victor’s fiancée and George Harris as his father, surprisingly wooden and forced.
Finally, Boyle makes full use of his location; from the circular, revolving stage, to imaginative lighting and other unexpected coups de theatre (including railway locomotives). But one constant remains – a dark and sinister violence is never far from the surface, now implied by the scientist, now explicit from the monster, the bedroom scene with the doctor’s new bride, particularly graphic.

Verdict
Despite one or two laboured moments and a production that is overall, 15 minutes too long, Boyle oversees an intense, inspired and innovative adaption of a timeless classic. 8/10

Dick Morgan
March 2011