This is the Cornerhouse Cinema:
This is Mary Shellys Frankenstein:
Put them all together and you get one of the most wonderful theatre productions I have had the priveledge to experience, without actually being at the theatre.
Yes this was the part of The National Theatre Live, a series of live productions that are streamed from the National Theatre to various cinemas around the country.
Before I clumsily stumbled across this performance of Frankenstein, I was aware that the opera did a similar thing, when I worked at a cinema, there was a certain day of the week about once a month when they would stream the opera live from where ever it was being performed to the cinema in question. I had no idea they did it with plays though.
I don't live in London (home of the National Theatre) and I definatley cannot afford to pop down there to see a Theatre Production, knowing that Frankenstein would never come to Manchester was quite a disspointment, until, about 4 weeks ago I was scrolling through cinema listings; AMC then Cornerhouse, and then the dreaded bigger cinema chains, whilst looking through Cornerhouse listings for something for me and my boyfriend to watch, I stumbled upon the fact that Frankenstein would be playing there and it would be streamed live from the theatre.
I can say I was not dissappointed, whilst you don't get that buzz, the atmosphere of being in a theatre, you do however get to see everything, you get the close ups that a theatre just cannot bring, you see every play of emotion that runs across the monsters face as he takes his tender first steps into the world, as he is accepted and tought by the old man and as he is cruelly beaten. You get to see every muscle move as Frankensteins face fills with remorse, every flinch Elizabeth makes when shocked at The Monsters appearance.
The Monster in the production I saw was played by Johnny Lee Miller whom some people will remember from Trainspotting, Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock fame took the role of Frankenstein.
The sets themselves are quite bare and plane but it's the inventive use of lighting that plays with the audiences perception and makes you feel like there is more to the set, for example the sunset, with which The Monster takes is first steps towards, is created by simply shining an orange light onto the set and gradually changing the colour, we believe the space is bigger and that the sun is really rising. The costume department have aslo done an excellent job, The Monsters make up is nothing like you will see in an old Hollywood film, it actually looks like he's been stitched together from bit of other people, but it looks immensely real.
Like me a lot of people will not have read all of the book or even any of it, they will base their knowledge on what they have seen in movies gone by. You will be suprised in this case, pleasently suprised but still suprised. Instead of coming from Victor Frankensteins point of view, we get that of The Monster, in fact Victor doesn't even appear in it until halfway through. We as an audience get to see The Creature as he begins to walk, to talk, to learn how to interact. We see him mistreated and hated, we see how lonely he is and while he murders people on his journey as an audience we can almost empathize with why he commits the acts he does.
Johnny Lee Miller really does play a blinder as we watch him, learning how to walk and talk as the creature, the performance could have so easily become comical or not done very well, but it wasn't you genuinely feel empathy for him.
Cumberbatch is also amazing as the torn Victor and the supporting cast were just as brilliant.
The conclusion of the play gives everyone in the audience food for thought, when The Monster raises many questions to his master, for example The Monster killing is wrong but would it then not be wrong to kill The Monster?
I really reccommend these sorts of experiences to everyone, because while they lack the buzz and atmosphere of the theatre, you get a lot closer to the action, it's all live, no editing, it means it can be a little flawed from time to time, it also means you can see a lot more then when your actually in the theatre.
They are wonderful and if you can't get to or really afford the Theatre these are a cheap and accessible way to enjoy it.
Few Links for you
Cornerhouse Cinema - Films, Art, Books, Theatre.
National Theatre Website
Ugly Duckling Out xx
This is Danny Boyle:
Yes this was the part of The National Theatre Live, a series of live productions that are streamed from the National Theatre to various cinemas around the country.
Before I clumsily stumbled across this performance of Frankenstein, I was aware that the opera did a similar thing, when I worked at a cinema, there was a certain day of the week about once a month when they would stream the opera live from where ever it was being performed to the cinema in question. I had no idea they did it with plays though.
I don't live in London (home of the National Theatre) and I definatley cannot afford to pop down there to see a Theatre Production, knowing that Frankenstein would never come to Manchester was quite a disspointment, until, about 4 weeks ago I was scrolling through cinema listings; AMC then Cornerhouse, and then the dreaded bigger cinema chains, whilst looking through Cornerhouse listings for something for me and my boyfriend to watch, I stumbled upon the fact that Frankenstein would be playing there and it would be streamed live from the theatre.
I can say I was not dissappointed, whilst you don't get that buzz, the atmosphere of being in a theatre, you do however get to see everything, you get the close ups that a theatre just cannot bring, you see every play of emotion that runs across the monsters face as he takes his tender first steps into the world, as he is accepted and tought by the old man and as he is cruelly beaten. You get to see every muscle move as Frankensteins face fills with remorse, every flinch Elizabeth makes when shocked at The Monsters appearance.
The Monster in the production I saw was played by Johnny Lee Miller whom some people will remember from Trainspotting, Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock fame took the role of Frankenstein.
The sets themselves are quite bare and plane but it's the inventive use of lighting that plays with the audiences perception and makes you feel like there is more to the set, for example the sunset, with which The Monster takes is first steps towards, is created by simply shining an orange light onto the set and gradually changing the colour, we believe the space is bigger and that the sun is really rising. The costume department have aslo done an excellent job, The Monsters make up is nothing like you will see in an old Hollywood film, it actually looks like he's been stitched together from bit of other people, but it looks immensely real.
Like me a lot of people will not have read all of the book or even any of it, they will base their knowledge on what they have seen in movies gone by. You will be suprised in this case, pleasently suprised but still suprised. Instead of coming from Victor Frankensteins point of view, we get that of The Monster, in fact Victor doesn't even appear in it until halfway through. We as an audience get to see The Creature as he begins to walk, to talk, to learn how to interact. We see him mistreated and hated, we see how lonely he is and while he murders people on his journey as an audience we can almost empathize with why he commits the acts he does.
Johnny Lee Miller really does play a blinder as we watch him, learning how to walk and talk as the creature, the performance could have so easily become comical or not done very well, but it wasn't you genuinely feel empathy for him.
Cumberbatch is also amazing as the torn Victor and the supporting cast were just as brilliant.
The conclusion of the play gives everyone in the audience food for thought, when The Monster raises many questions to his master, for example The Monster killing is wrong but would it then not be wrong to kill The Monster?
I really reccommend these sorts of experiences to everyone, because while they lack the buzz and atmosphere of the theatre, you get a lot closer to the action, it's all live, no editing, it means it can be a little flawed from time to time, it also means you can see a lot more then when your actually in the theatre.
They are wonderful and if you can't get to or really afford the Theatre these are a cheap and accessible way to enjoy it.
Few Links for you
Cornerhouse Cinema - Films, Art, Books, Theatre.
National Theatre Website
Ugly Duckling Out xx
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