By Jessica Taurins
With smoke billowing across the stage and ‘Clair de Lune’ playing gently, it could almost be imagined that Shake & Stir Theatre’s reprisal of Frankenstein will be a soft, calm reproduction.
Not to spoil anything, but it isn’t too long before that idea is dashed across the stage like brains and bones.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was written in 1818, over 200 years ago now, back before the concept of robotics and AI had come anywhere near popular culture. Now we have robot dogs that are trained to kill when they’re not dancing to amuse us, and ecosystem-destroying generative AI that rips apart the work of millions of artists to create soulless pieces of ‘art’ to sell online.
Still, Frankenstein’s relevance somehow remains in this modern day of ours.
The Shake & Stir version of Frankenstein masterfully winds a faithful representation of Shelley’s text together with massive LED screens and technological wizardry. The staging of the show is absolutely its most impressive element – these screens are used to show the setting of each scene in addition to the madness within Victor Frankenstein’s mind as he is tormented by the consequences of his actions. The performance also features a rotating stage and multiple large-scale set pieces, including a giant ship that rises through the fog in the opening scene.
Darcy Brown as the titular Frankenstein is small and mild, shaking and jittering across the stage as he is first introduced. Brown’s ability to wildly switch from manic to peaceful is most impressive, as are his facial expressions in moments of silence. The play of comedy between himself and Nick James (Victor’s childhood friend Henry) are rare moments of levity in a show that is ultimately oppressive and upsetting (in a good way!).
Compared to Brown’s stature, Jeremiah Wray (the ‘Creature’) is terrifying in his strength and size. Wray is shrouded for the first half of the show, only seen in silhouette, but he remains an imposing figure on stage. His first steps into life are jerky and painful as he rolls across the spinning stage through the smoke leftover from the moment of his creation, but he grows smoother and more human as the months progress for him.
Rather than being titled Frankenstein’s Monster, as in popular culture, this adaptation defines him as a Creature, and Wray’s performance defines the descriptor well. The Creature is not human, and yet not inhuman either, as is of course the tale of the show. Despite being a full head higher than the rest of the characters and draped in rags that expand his form in the shadows, there are moments of poignancy and softness where the Creature is left vulnerable, and Wray seems to shrink to become something small. Of course, this is unable to last, and his strength is used to toss certain characters across the stage as though they weigh nothing, an impressive feat requiring a huge amount of trust between performers.
Chloé Zuel (also playing Elizabeth), Nick James, Anna Lise Phillips, and Tony Cogin portray the remaining characters in the show, all to great effect. James has already been mentioned as the comedic heart of the show, where Zuel is also undoubtedly its heart, but Phillips and Cogin are exactly the performers needed to round out the rest of the story. The chorus of four float around in the stage in monochromatic colours, appearing and disappearing on the rotating stage, narrating Victor’s life from beginning to end. The interplay dialogue between the four is tight and delightful to watch, the narration bouncing between them in a way where they simultaneously speak Victor’s story and act as judges against his actions.
In almost all cases, this rendition of Frankenstein is tightly wound. The set design (Josh McIntosh), lighting (Trent Suidgeest), and sound and music (Guy Webster) play off each other to create an air of fear even on some of the sunniest days in the onstage forest. Moments of silence after a ringing chord only serve to further highlight the gratuitous violence performed by the Creature in his attempts to make Victor pay for his creation.
Aside from some moments where the music is a little too loud for the dialogue to be understood, and some frankly shocking patterns of strobe lighting turned towards the audience, watching Frankenstein is a real feast for the senses.
The story itself is thin – man creates monster, monster destroys man – but the wrapping created by Shake & Stir and all its creatives are an absolutely stunning way to experience the tale.
Frankenstein is now playing at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne’s East End Theatre District until Sunday 1st September, before heading to Sydney’s Theatre Royal from September 28th.
For more information and tickets: https://frankensteinlive.com.au/
