Book Reviews and More: Frankenstein Revived Stratford Festival 2023 A Review

Wednesday, 4 September 2024

Frankenstein Revived Stratford Festival 2023 A Review

Frankenstein Revived

2023

Stratford Festival

by Morris Panych

Music by David Coulter

Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Directed by Morris Panych

Movement choreography by Wendy Gorling

Dance choreography by Stephen Cota

World Première Adaptation

Frankenstein Revived Stratford Festival 2023 A Review

Over the last few years my son, who is now 16, and I have attended a number of plays in Stratford at the festival. We eagerly await the announcements of the season’s shows and often debate what shows we want to attend and why and then we buy our tickets early in the winter. For the 2023 Season I did not get around to writing reviews during the season but wanted to still share my thoughts. And this production was just amazing. It was the last of five shows we saw in 2023, the others were: King Lear, Grand Magic, A Wrinkle in Time, and Goblin Macbeth. But back to this production. This is a production we both greatly loved and talked about for weeks after.

The cast in Alphabetical order is:

Townsperson, Servant - Eric Abel

Professor 1, D’lacy, Captain - Sean Arbuckle

Element, Gossip, Townsperson, Bird, Guest, Passenger - Carla Bennett

Element, Henry Clerval - Devon Michael Brown

Mary Shelley - Laura Condlln

Element, Gossip, Townsperson, Agatha, Guest - Amanda De Freitas

Element, Sailor, Student, Townsperson, Felix - Mateo G. Torres

Doctor Victor Frankenstein - Charlie Gallant

Element, Father, Professor 2, Townsperson - Eddie Glen

Element, Student, Grave Digger, Townsperson, Guest - Mckinley Knuckle

Element, Mother On Train, Townsperson, Bird, Guest - Gracie Mack

Element, Landlady, Townsperson, Bird - Ayrin Mackie

Element, Sailor, Merchant, Professor 3, Grave Digger, Townsperson, Guest - Anthony Macpherson

Element, Nanny, Townsperson, Guest - Heather Mcguigan

William - Garrett Mckee

Helper - Spencer Nicholas Mcleod

Element, Elizabeth, Townsperson - Kyla Musselman

The Creature - Marcus Nance

Element, Student, Townsperson, Guest,

Police Officer, Pallbearer - Trevor Patt

Element, Sailor, Student, Townsperson, Guest, Soldier, Pallbearer - Jason Sermonia

Swings - Josh Doig

Bethany Kovarik

Understudies

The Creature - Devon Michael Brown

Professor 1, D’lacy, Captain - Aaron Krohn

Mary Shelley - Ayrin Mackie

Father, Professor 2 - Anthony Macpherson

Helper - Garrett Mckee

William - Spencer Nicholas Mcleod

Doctor Victor Frankenstein - Trevor Patt

Henry Clerval - Jason Sermonia

Prior to going to see this we watched the National Theatre Production of Frankenstein from 2021 staring Benedict Cumberbatch. I knew my son had not year read the book, and was unfamiliar with the story. Or only the basics. Watching that production prior to this primed us for this incredible play. There is a warning that this play includes continuous loud music, as well as fog and haze effects. This production featured no dialogue. It is play based on movement, and sound. And it goes back and forth between scenes of Shelley writing the monster and Dr Frankenstein either creating or becoming the monster depending on how you interpret the story.

It is an absolutely stunning production, and one that many misunderstood, I believe, for about 1/3 of the seats were empty after the intermission, the day we attended. For us my son and I sat in stunned silence as we absorbed the sound and sights that told these intertwined stories. To be honest the performance left us speechless and it was not until well into our meal after the production that we finally started talking about it.

This was a standout show for us in the 2023 season. An incredible production!