I’m not good with horror or frights of any kind. I’m often
scared of my own shadow and on heading for the Royal Exchange’s latest production,
Frankenstein, I was a little concerned that I might have to hide behind one of
the banquettes if it all got a bit too much for me. I needn’t have worried.
Whilst the dark design of this latest production is
effective, especially the blocking of the walls of the theatre space to allow
for regular ‘blackouts’ in an attempt to ramp up the tension, and a simple but
effective staging, I found this show to be strangely unmoving .
There were some good performances, Ryan Gage as Captain
Waldran had great stage presence and gave a nicely balanced performance. Harry
Attwell as the Creature conjured sympathy for his plight, the most memorable
scene being his time observing and learning from a family in the woods and his
eventual rejection. Whilst he played the victim well, I found this character less
convincing when he took his revenge having been betrayed. And Colin Ryan (Henry
/ Felix / Prosecutor) seemed like an actor to watch in the future.
The choices made in the portrayal of Victor Frankenstein
made him almost seem weak. I found myself not really caring one way or the
other about what happened to him or his loved ones (just occasionally wishing
that they would happen a bit faster!)
All in all I found this a bit of an underwhelming
performance. Little tension, not at all scary, and not very engaging or
memorable.
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