Review an arts event.
This review of an arts event, as part of my silver arts award, is based around the National Theatre Live Encore of Frankenstein screening that took place in Wem Town hall on the 30th October 2014, conveniently shown in the same centre as the BFI programme I am attending.
The screening of Frankenstein was a recorded live performance of the play produced by Danny Boyle, staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.
Before the full screening, there was a short behind the scenes introduction to the film that explained a short amount about Mary Shelly the writer of the novel, all about the history of Frankenstein and the monster's portrayals in the media since the original novel was written, and also a brief explanation about the performance that these two well known actors would swap roles each time the play was performed.
The Adaptation I viewed was with Miller as Dr Frankenstein and Cumberbatch as the monster. The performance was a thrilling experience, all shown from the monsters perspective. It began with the monster being created/born, showing him slowly emerging from a thin, transparent, skin-like membrane in the centre of the stage. At this moment,hundreds of lights all hanging above the stage from the ceiling we're pulsating with a bright blinding whit light, which acted as the lightning strikes that bring the creature to life. I liked the use of all the lighting and thought that it was an inventive way of portraying lightning. As the lightning struck the stage the monster would react, and slowly slip through this membrane until he was fully emerged and laying on the floor. For the next few minutes we see the monster start to learn to crawl, stand and walk for the first time rather allot like a fast learning toddler. The monster finally learns to move about in this new world for him and ventures out to areas that people live. He comes across many people, approaching them with curiosity but still without the ability to speak. When people see him they automatically become scared of his corps like appearance and shout, scream and beat him in hopes that he will flee and leave them alone. This continues to happen until he meets a small blind old man, who teaches him how to read, write and a great many other things. After about a year, the monster has an extended vocabulary and becomes very intelligent, finding out more and more of his creator Dr Frankenstein. The old blind man suggests that the monster introduce himself to the old man's son, but when they see him, they drive him away from their home in disgust of his appearance. The monster is outraged by this, and burns down the house along side the old man, his son and wife during the night. Afterwards, the monster then sets off in search for his creator Dr Frankenstein. He finds Frankenstein a short while later and confronts him for the first time, Frankenstein is amazed at the speed in which the monster had developed in intelligence and his ability to speak and read so well. The monsters main cause of seeing Frankenstein was to request to be able to experience love, and the only way that could happen would be if Frankenstein were to create him a bride in the same way he had created the first monster. Frankenstein accepts the challenge to create beauty from death, so travels far away from his home to create the monster bride. Once the female monster is ready, the original monster makes his appearance, but in order to test the monsters capability of "love" Frankenstein starts to talk about all of the bad things that could befall the monster when in love such as heart break, or even that she would also be sickened by the sight of him too. But to make sure that the monster could actually feel the pain of love first hand, Frankenstein stabs the monster bride with a knife multiple times, killing her in front of the original monster very own eyes. The monster then lets Frankenstein know that he will get his revenge on him one way or another.
The screening of Frankenstein was a recorded live performance of the play produced by Danny Boyle, staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.
Before the full screening, there was a short behind the scenes introduction to the film that explained a short amount about Mary Shelly the writer of the novel, all about the history of Frankenstein and the monster's portrayals in the media since the original novel was written, and also a brief explanation about the performance that these two well known actors would swap roles each time the play was performed.
The Adaptation I viewed was with Miller as Dr Frankenstein and Cumberbatch as the monster. The performance was a thrilling experience, all shown from the monsters perspective. It began with the monster being created/born, showing him slowly emerging from a thin, transparent, skin-like membrane in the centre of the stage. At this moment,hundreds of lights all hanging above the stage from the ceiling we're pulsating with a bright blinding whit light, which acted as the lightning strikes that bring the creature to life. I liked the use of all the lighting and thought that it was an inventive way of portraying lightning. As the lightning struck the stage the monster would react, and slowly slip through this membrane until he was fully emerged and laying on the floor. For the next few minutes we see the monster start to learn to crawl, stand and walk for the first time rather allot like a fast learning toddler. The monster finally learns to move about in this new world for him and ventures out to areas that people live. He comes across many people, approaching them with curiosity but still without the ability to speak. When people see him they automatically become scared of his corps like appearance and shout, scream and beat him in hopes that he will flee and leave them alone. This continues to happen until he meets a small blind old man, who teaches him how to read, write and a great many other things. After about a year, the monster has an extended vocabulary and becomes very intelligent, finding out more and more of his creator Dr Frankenstein. The old blind man suggests that the monster introduce himself to the old man's son, but when they see him, they drive him away from their home in disgust of his appearance. The monster is outraged by this, and burns down the house along side the old man, his son and wife during the night. Afterwards, the monster then sets off in search for his creator Dr Frankenstein. He finds Frankenstein a short while later and confronts him for the first time, Frankenstein is amazed at the speed in which the monster had developed in intelligence and his ability to speak and read so well. The monsters main cause of seeing Frankenstein was to request to be able to experience love, and the only way that could happen would be if Frankenstein were to create him a bride in the same way he had created the first monster. Frankenstein accepts the challenge to create beauty from death, so travels far away from his home to create the monster bride. Once the female monster is ready, the original monster makes his appearance, but in order to test the monsters capability of "love" Frankenstein starts to talk about all of the bad things that could befall the monster when in love such as heart break, or even that she would also be sickened by the sight of him too. But to make sure that the monster could actually feel the pain of love first hand, Frankenstein stabs the monster bride with a knife multiple times, killing her in front of the original monster very own eyes. The monster then lets Frankenstein know that he will get his revenge on him one way or another.
Luke - You need to add evidence of being there (eg the booking form and programme) and feedback on your review from someone.
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