National FIlm Theatre Production of Frankenstien at the @mediamuseum

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:48:49 GMT

Was very faithful to the book, apart from in one important aspect which I will get to shortly. Had beautiful set design, and amazing, AMAZING make-up. Had stunningly good performances from all concerned, even the little lad who played William. And having seen it, I feel sick to my stomach.

You see, nobody told me that the one major change they made, after being very faithful to the spirit and letter of the book throughout, is that before the Creature kills Elizabeth he brutally rapes her and screams "Now I am a MAN!"

If this had been a film, there would have been a warning about strong sexual violence and I wouldn't have gone to see it, because I know my triggers well enough. I have no desire to ban this sort of thing, or any sort of artistic expression, but I would like to make an informed choice about what I hand over money to see. But it wasn't a film, it was a filmed theatre production, so there were no warnings. I would have really appreciated a warning. If I had had a warning, I would not have gone, because the performances were really very good, and I won't sleep tonight they were so convincing.

So next time I am planning to go see a national theatre production I will be waiting until someone I know and trust has seen it, and then I can ask them about it. And then they can tell me Oh yes, it's very faithful to the source material, well, aside from the fact that they inserted a completely gratuitous and unnecessary brutal rape scene which adds nothing to the plot and will traumatise you. But apart from that it's very good.

I'm going to shout at Question Time for a bit now. Hopefully that will work as brain bleach.

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Theatre Review: Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales at the Playhouse, Liverpool

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:12:24 GMT

This evening's entertainment has been a theatrical adaptation of of several of Roald Dahl's macabre short stories for the stage by Jeremy Dyson. The set design was brilliant; using simple props to convey everything from a pawn shop to a science lab to a West Country Guest house (they eat their young down there, you know) and the cast were versatile and talented, taking several parts each, sometimes of multiple genders. I particularly enjoyed Nick Fletcher's gleeful licking of his meat cleaver, and Selina Griffiths' mad Devon B&B owner, but the whole thing was gloriously well-performed throughout.

The story selection was mostly excellent, although the starkly realistic portrayal of The Flying Foxley struck a somewhat sour note amid the arch black humour of the rest of the show; the boy playing young Perkins was chillingly real in his suffering. But I loved that William and Mary was in there, and the tale of the mink fur coat was beautifully done.

Coming in at 1 hour 20, some might say that this Amicus Anthology style play is a teensy bit short for the ticket price, but it certainly felt like money's worth from where I was sitting.

8/10

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Automated Attack Monkeys, Scalpel Mines, & Acid

National FIlm Theatre Production of Frankenstien at the @mediamuseum

Theatre Review: Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales at the Playhouse, Liverpool