FRANKENSTEIN BY NICK DEAR
Image: Image by Heidrun Lohr
Re-churning a classic can get a bit irksome after a while, but this performance alone will reignite a love for Mary Shelley lost long ago.
Nick Dears’ re-imagination explores abandonment through the eyes of an unnatural creature. Unbeknownst to its creator, the creature becomes educated but slowly realizes that knowledge cannot convince humans to accept it. Desolate and depleted, the creature vows to find its creator and convince him to help find contentment.
Starring Lee Jones, Katie Fitchett and Andrew Henry, this hauntingly intimate adaptation is beautiful and prophetic in its delivery.
Most Valuable Player unquestionably goes to Jones, whose dedication and hard work pays off immensely in his execution of The Creature. He is brilliantly focused, portraying each little mannerism and disfigured aspect of his character’s personality to create a figure who not only is uncomfortable to comprehend but also makes us sympathetic to its plight. (CD)
Until Apr 13, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, $40-79, sydneyoperahouse.com, April 17-May 4, Ensemble Theatre, McDougall St, Kirribilli, $25-72, ensemble.com.au
