Frankenstein Snatches the Rent

Up front, let me say that I am a member of the cast of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' currently in season at Harbour Theatre Fremantle. But I am so sick of our Review page being used as a cathartic enema for those associated with Campbelltown's production of 'Rent' that I felt compelled to kick off a new line of diatribe regardless. (Go Dockers!)

On Friday morning 3/03/06, I received the following email from a friend who I hadn't realised had attended our charity preview the night before:

"Hi! Pete,
I saw the show tonight. Great performances by all the cast.
Your ugliness was astounding.Your acting horrifying and you never lost your lines once.
We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Congratulations to all involved on a terrific production,
Ann"

I repied immediately:

"Hey thanks Ann.

Would you be so kind as to write a review for the ITA website? It's invaluable
from a publicity point of view, but of course we can't write it ourselves.
Dead easy - use a nom de plume if you like - just go to www.theatre.asn.au and
follow your nose (so to speak).

Catch up soon,

Pete"

I subsequently had a call saying:

"I've looked at that website. I'd love to write a review but the page seems to be dominated with some angst-ridden cr@p from the ES. What do you suggest?"

I said:

"Hold on I'll see if I can give you a bit of a leg-up. Only trouble is, as a member of the cast, all I can really comment on is the amazing attention to detail the directors have given in their choice of set, costume, sound and light design people - perfectionists all! That and to pay tribute to other great productions of Frankenstein I have seen, in particular that put on by (I think it was) Vagabond Theatre a few years back which has been a big influence on my own performance (thanks Grant and Patrick).
As I recall, I wrote a review for it at the time, which caused a minor civil war on this very page. No wonder I allowed myself to risk my own credibility yet again!"

Anyhow, come and see this show and hang about for a quiet one at Clancy's afterwards!

Cheers & Crackers,

Pete N


Thou artless pottle-deep dewberry!

So has anyone else seen the show yet? Sounds more interesting than this Rent nonsense, at the very least.

I was at the school's special on monday night. . . .It is definately worth a look. . .unfortunately i didn't get to speak to Pete. . .but i did speak to most of the cast. . . I wrote a small comment in my journal on my Deviant Art Page: http://tari-xalyr.deviantart.com/ If anyone is interested. . .below i'm posting my detailed response I had to write for Drama Studies Paly REview assignment. . . . Like I said definately worth checking out. . .unfortunately I fond this too late for tonight i closing night and it is sold out. . .Still a dedication to the performers and crew. . .Pete you may have seen me? My friend and I were there for a while talking to Luke Dixon after the show. . .anywayz enjoy. . . Frankenstein Based on Mary Shelley’s Gothic Horror Title: “Frankenstein” Playwright: David Campton Director: Nicola Bond & Peter Kirkwood Venue: Princess May Theatre Date: 13th March 2006 Theatre Group: Harbour Theatre Performers: Victor Frankenstein … … … … … Chris Thomas Frankenstein Monster … … … … . Peter Nettleton Henry Clerval … … … … … … … Luke Dixon Elizabeth … … … … … … … … .. Olivia Darby Justine … … … … … … … … … .. Sherrilee Walsh Mr Clerval Snr … … … … … … … Tim Prosser Madame Couper … … … … … … . Kate Moulder Plot Line: Victor Frankenstein, a scientist of the early nineteenth century, is laughed at and ridiculed by all those at the universities and intellectuals because of his theories on life and his models for excellence in science. So Victor sets out in secret and setting up a secret laboratory he conducts experiments upon himself. Through this he makes many discoveries but because of his reputation his is still laughed at. The audience is introduced to this character in his laboratory. Victor is nearly finished his most dangerous experiment yet, he has created a creature and is planning on giving life to him. It is here his friend Henry Clerval discovers him and his experiment. He claims Victor is crazy. These experiments are taking a toll on Victor’s childhood sweet heart and his betrothed Elizabeth. Elizabeth has no idea what is happening to her fiancé and seeks counsel with Henry. Henry, who holds a suppressed love for Elizabeth, tells her all is well and that Victor will be home from his “business abroad” soon enough. Henry goes to the Laboratory to find Victor and Elizabeth follows him. She discovers the Laboratory but Victor manages to keep her in the dark about what he is actually doing. Victor soon succeeds in bringing his “creature” to life. When he does he is terrified by his creation. He locks the monster in the laboratory and abandons it. Only Henry Clerval knows of this creature, for he is also present when the creature is bought to life and with Victor made several attempts to tame him. Alongside this is the maid, Justine. Justine’s past is shadowed. She was taken in by Henry’s father, Clerval senior, and now looks after her own son, William, as his maid. The creature seeks revenge upon his maker and does so by killing all those he loves. Victor mistakes the aim of the monsters revenge and thinks it is out to kill him not everyone else and thus sets a trap for him. After killing William, the creature goes after Clerval. In succeeding upon this he goes after Elizabeth, whom upon hearing the courts judgement of Justine, who is accused of William’s murder and to be guillotined, has spent the night at the Clerval manor by herself. Victor sets his trap at the manor, assuming no one is there, he finds Elizabeth there and in an attempt to save her locks her in her room. The creature comes in through the window, and comes after Elizabeth. Elizabeth has taken one of Victors pistols and shoots the creature. Victor hears her screaming and comes in to find the creature still alive and after Elizabeth He shoots it and the Frankenstein Monster dies. Victor does not learn from his mistakes and thus forth the play finishes with “Until next time” For Victor is planning on continuing his work and building another creature until he succeeds in his ambitions. Comments: Generally I enjoyed this performance. As an adaptation of the novel it was not a great script and not completely true to the novel but it did address many of the issues and themes that are bought up throughout the text. Realism and Naturalism, in my opinion are two of the hardest and most time consuming theatre styles to pull off and the actors of this show made the characters believable and strong. The use of Laban effort actions, in particular with Elizabeth, who used “glide” and “wring,” was evident through all the characters onstage. The cast held up their English accents well enough. Victor Frankenstein needed to concentrate more on the accents though because it dropped randomly throughout the performance, shaking its believability. Talking to the actors afterwards bought a new insight into the performance. Talking to Kate Moulder, we discovered how she kept her accent strong. . . . . . . She’s English. The other performers just relied on practice. Talking mainly to Luke Dixon, about his character Henry Clerval and his process of characterisation of Clerval and his scenes with different characters. Dixon’s character, Clerval, is one of my personal favourites, so talking about his characters decent into darkness, his social status, his relationships with Victor and Elizabeth and his death were very insightful. The different deaths they tried and how they each failed for various reasons. Also Clerval’s only scene with Elizabeth alone and how important that scene was to display his love and what their relationship is and can never be. Dixon said he uses “Methodical” characterisation, loosely based on Stanislavski techniques to create Clerval. The use of proxemics varied throughout the play. Sometimes they strongly displayed relationships between characters and character moods but in some scenes the proxemics were related only to the use of props and other characters entrances and exits from the stage. One of the better use of Proxemics is displayed through the first scene with Elizabeth, Madame Couper and Justine. Elizabeth is seated in the centre. Justine is standing behind her to the side. They are talking and when Madame Couper enters and seats herself on the seat on the opposite of the stage, Justine moves closer to Elizabeth. The argument is regarding Justine’s position in the house and Elizabeth is supporting Justine, thus Justine and Elizabeth are closer together and on the opposite side of the stage to Madame Couper who is opposing this placement. Madame Couper and Elizabeth share similar social status and are therefore both seated whereas Justine remains standing the whole scene promoting her lack of station but also that the argument is about her, standing she draws more attention to herself. The costuming of this performance was well researched and fitted the time period well. The men’s costumes in particular reflected the characters moods and situations well. Victor, for example always wore brown and earthy tones, despite where he was, His travel coat was black to show his occupation. Even in the social light he wears brown. This can be seen as a representation of his inability to escape what he is secretly doing and his “creature” haunts him thus. Henry Clerval on the other hand wears purples and pastel colours which represent his status. This creates a good contrast when he is with Victor in the Laboratory for his colours are striking against the set and victor emphasising his status and that he doesn’t feel comfortable or like he fits in with his surroundings. The men’s costumes were used correctly also, for example to tails of their coats, when they sat were always lifted, as was correct protocol in the time. On the other hand when he is in his father’s manor his colours match his surroundings and his status shines more. The women’s costumes were slightly out of date in comparison to the men, but the colours also were used well and reflected mood and status. Elizabeth’s costuming was varied in colour. Although the colours were brighter throughout, when she visited Victor’s laboratory the first and only time she also wore a dark coat, which was also worn when she visited Justine at the gaol. These colour express both her moods and her surroundings. Justine’s colours don’t change but become dirtier. When she is in the gaol she is dirty and her same outfit is torn. The Frankenstein Monster’s makes up and costume were interesting choices. He had minor prosthetics on and was painted in a faded green over his body. To present the innocent baby like nature of this “creatures” mind he was only dressed in a white cloth, almost like a oversized baby nappy. The sound, lighting and effects were very well done and successful in creating the different moods for each scene and situation. The basic lighting used created mood, When the action focused on the laboratory the other half the stage was blacked out and the laboratory lit up with a dim blue light, enough to see the action and expression but dim enough to keep a grim feeling about that part of the set. The lighting for the manor, on the other hand, was bright and yellow. Lit by a central “chandelier” the manor had an atmosphere of security and happiness, contrasting well with the laboratory. When the characters entered Justine’s cell a shadow outline of bars ran across the front of the stage creating a dreadful boxed feeling. The sound effects had no faults throughout the performance, as far as an audience member could tell. They were used well and the timing was spot on. The sound itself, music was used to help set the scene. The music of a string quartet set the scene for the manor, with cheerful emotion. The music for the laboratory was gloomy and at times fearful, depending on the particular scene. The music opened the play with a terrifying atmosphere and mixed with the lightning created the perfect mood for the beginning of a gothic horror such as this. The stage was set out well. Half the stage was taken by the laboratory and the other half by a room in Clerval Manor. The set was detailed as a realist set usually is. Close attention was paid to the detail and colour of each piece of the set. The laboratory was desk alone hade piles of books, parchment, ink, quills, candle stubs, candle sticks etc upon it, as well as Victor Frankenstein’s journal. The mantle piece of the Clerval manor had candles, vase of flowers, photos and a clock upon it. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this performance, very few noticeable mistakes form an audience members point of view and meeting the performers and crew afterwards and talking to them both about the book and the play was very interesting, learning more about their rehearsal process. The characterisation was well done, in particular Justine, Madame Couper, Clerval Snr and Henry Clerval. The opening of the performance used excerpts from Mary Shelley’s author notes at the beginning of the novel, explaining when the novel was written. The music and lightening added dramatic effect to these words, setting up the theme of both the play and novel very well. Although the plot was not very true to the play and the perspective of the monster was altered considerably giving it an almost Hollywood feel, the play did pick up, what I consider, some of the most important questions, themes and issues raised throughout Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein.”