Review: Frankenstein, Theatre by the Lake

“A solid production of a classic tale“

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, adapted by Séan Aydon, Keswick, Theatre by the Lake

by Ken Powell

There is a creature at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake and it will be lurking around for a just another couple of days before it moves on. It is, of course, Mary Shelley’s ‘creature’ created by Dr Frankenstein and given new life (pun intended) by Séan Aydon in this brand new adaptation of the classic horror story.

Although the story is a classic, it rarely gets told these days. The original by Mary Shelley is somewhat tame: the pseudo-science isn’t convincing and Frankenstein himself seems rather weak. The ‘creature’ is somewhat unbelievable in terms of learning to speak by listening to people and using books to read. We need more convincing nowadays. How do you make a story past its sell-by date relevant to audiences today?

One way is to adapt the characters themselves to make the story bigger than it was, and that’s exactly what is attempted with this production. Victor Frankenstein is Victoria Frankenstein, played well by Eleanor Mcloughlin. She is assisted by Francine – who has restricted growth – played impressively by Annette Hannah. Frankenstein’s friend and fiancée in the book are combined together, giving us Henry, the only non-white character, played by Dale Mathurin.

The change of genders automatically alters the dynamics here. Indeed, I feel the production missed a trick by not giving us as female ‘Creature’, admirable a job as Cameron Robertson performed in the role. This didn’t turn out to be a feminist retelling.

Instead, we are presented with the implied discussion of prejudice, alluded to in the book and presented more forcefully on the stage. Hannah’s Francine is particularly stark as we see her own horror, not of the monster, but of Frankenstein herself as the doctor vacillates between adulation of her creation and destructive horror. Francine comes to question whether her friend and employer sees her as something ‘to fix’ too, rather than as a living human being. Hannah’s portrayal here is excellent.

This should have been a fascinating exploration: who is the real monster? Alas, this production doesn’t quite pull it off. There’s a little too much telling of the original story and not enough adaptation making it relevant to a modern audience. There’s much that this team could learn from 2019’s Heart of Darkness at Theatre by the Lake. There was so much more room for these characters to explore.

Nevertheless, it is a good solid production of a classic tale and certain one worth seeing if you’ve never watched the story or read the book. The advantage of not pushing the philosophical dimensions too much is that, for all the changes, you do still fundamentally get Shelley’s novella. While those of us long in the tooth might find certain parts a little cheesy, those new to it all should find it most enjoyable. Likewise, literary lovers of Poe and Lovecraft are going to feel right at home here. As we head towards ‘spooky’ season, this is no bad way to kick things off.

Frankenstein is showing at Theatre by the Lake until Saturday 14 September 2023. To find out more call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or visit www.theatrebythelake.com.