“Frankenstein” adapted by Rona Munro
Derby Theatre

Everyone should know the story of the monster created by Dr Frankenstein, but this story shows us the story’s creator, Mary Shelley as one of the production’s characters, so we also learn about her as well as the creator of the monster and the monster itself. Mary Shelley dreamed it up at the age of 18, winning a bet with Lord Byron and her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. “Frankenstein” was published two years later, in 1818.

The monster, created by Victor Frankenstein, and made up of various parts of other dead humans, only wants to be loved. He is driven to rage and murder by Frankenstein’s failure to provide this love and acceptance of his creation bringing rise to the monster’s horror image in the classic films we all know and love. Misunderstood patchwork quilt of dead flesh or monster? You decide.

I had been really looking forward to having a bit of a scare fest with this one but that just didn't happen. The thunder sound effects were loud enough to make a deaf person jump but I wasn't in the least frightened by the monster.

When you think of the old movies, there is this man mountain of a monster with evil eyes created on a slab with electrodes on a windy and wet stormy night, slowly arising from the slab and terrorising people with that slow stumbling gait.

Here the "monster" is brought to life standing up attached to sets of white rope lights, grunts a bit and races off to attack Frankenstein's brother or best friend; I was a little confused here.

The story was mainly about Mary Shelley who created the book,and narrated the story throughout, breaking the fourth wall to do this. Strangely enough I really enjoyed this as it brought with the character quite a few comic moments, again something that I was not expecting. A little bit more like "Carry On Frankenstein" than Gothic Horror.

The monster himself was nothing like I have ever seen monster wise. With wild 80's rock style hair and bedecked in a pair of baggy grey jogging bottoms, and later a matrix style leather coat, he raced everywhere and was very fluent with his speech and his demands.

Ben Castle-Gibb (Victor Frankenstein) was really quite impressive though as he showed us the pain and regret of bringing his "child" into the world. He showed the pressure of his work and the effects it had on Frankenstein's mind and body, and I really enjoyed this performance.

Eilidh Loan (Mary Shelley), as I've previously mentioned brought the show alive for me with her quips and laid back commentary.

Michael Moreland (Frankenstein’s Monster) was not what I had expected but he did give us an alternative view of the monster, and that is what theatre is all about, at times being different

Thierry Mabonga (Henry/Walton), Sarah MacGillivray (Mother/Justine), Natali McCleary (Elizabeth/Safie), Greg Powrie (Father/Master/Waldman) complete the cast.

Produced and Direcetd by Patricia Benecke, she gives us something different to the original idea of the story and image of the monster, although the story was fairly faithful to Shelley's Gothic masterpiece.

I did feel at times that parts of the story were rushed and could have been expanded more. The scene with the blind man was over before it had even began and may have been able to show the more sensitive side of the monster.

I also had trouble placing some of the accents. Was this a Scottish accent or was it an Irish accent; at times hard to tell. According to Shelley's novel, Dr Frankenstein was born in Naples!

Sound Design by Simon Slater and Lighting Design by Grant Anderson. these two created the unease and jump moments for the audience

Set design by Becky Minto, and this was set on two levels and reminded me of one of those plush penthouse apartments that you see beside the canal or waterway with balconies and perspex rails with white trees growing alongside the balconies. These made useful entry and exit points from the balcony down to the main stage.

A very stylised production, and though it may sound like I'm against sexing up old classics, I'm not. I've seen many modern takes on Shakespearean plays which I have really enjoyed, and in many ways, this production reminded me of doing that. It keeps theatre fresh, especially for younger theatre goers, so I am all for that, but I think this production may be, for me, filed under "marmite"

“Frankenstein” is at Derby Theatre until Saturday 25 January