There have been many adaptations and permutations of Frankenstein, most recently on the silver screen with Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. Published in 1818 by a 21-year-old Mary Shelley, the epistolary gothic tale of a scientist reckoning with his monstrous creation has gripped readers for more than two centuries, raising pertinent and thorny questions about ethics, isolation and what it means to be human. In the modern age, the obvious parallel is to artificial intelligence – but there are more surprising resonances in contemporary conversations around toxic masculinity and “incel” resentment.
Independent theatre company Shake and Stir’s stage version, which premiered in Brisbane last year, is a fine addition to the canon. Directed by Nick Skubij and adapted by Nelle Lee, this production is a faithful adaptation of the text, using technology to highlight the story’s backdrop of the Industrial Revolution and the concurrent decay of social relations. It’s an immersive, cinematic production, beginning with a thick cloud of smoke blanketting the stage.
Classical music, from Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes to Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, adds ominous beauty and suspense, but silence – an important horror hallmark – is used just as frequently and effectively. Josh McIntosh’s impressive, cavernous set sees stage pieces, including a large ship, emerge from the darkness; a digital backdrop across multiple screens transports viewers to changing worlds, from a univ.