A ‘BOLD and new’ multimedia interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein is coming to Colchester next month as part of a national tour.
Frankenstein, a play inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel, will be at the Mercury Theatre from April 9 to 11 and will delve into the novel’s themes of fear, anxiety, and what it means to be human.
The play is created by Imitating the dog (ITD) a national theatre company of more than 25 years and will see actors Georgia-Mae Myers and Nedum Okonyia playing all the roles.
This production also has two parallel narratives – the story of Frankenstein in the late 1700s and a modern young couple afraid of bringing a child, and life, into the world.
ITD has worked in collaboration with designer Hayley Grindle, who has used “digital tricks and video-mapping techniques” alongside projection by Simon Wainwright, co-director of ITD, to transform the stage – an immersive experience which the theatre company is known for.
Hayley said: “Creating Frankenstein has been a fully collaborative process. It has been playful, full of discussion, challenged our imaginations, and a joy to simply explore and try and try again”.
“We began with a tool kit, a box of toys almost, in terms of sound, lighting, video, design, direction, choreography and performance to breathe new life into this classic tale. It’s made with love and care and has been a joy to work on.”
Director Andrew Quick said he chose to stage this version of Frankenstein, “the first science fiction novel”, now due to the personal elements of the story as well as the questions on playing God, consciousness, and humanity.
He said: “In many ways, our version is a love story or at least a story that explores what it is to be loved and what it is to be rejected Mary Shelley was able to discuss what.”
Mr Quick added audience members did not need to have read the novel before but that Shelley’s “striking image” of the Artic was used a lot in the production, which links to current fears about climate changes.
Frankenstein will be at Mercury Theatre at 7.30pm from April 9 to 11 with a matinee performance on April 10 at 2.30pm.
Tickets can be purchased here.
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