After thoroughly impressing with their adaptation of Dracula, TRUESTORY return with another legendary gothic tale as they find all the right parts for an excellent take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
A refreshingly daring and towering performance.
Returning to their previous haunt in the secularlised gothic church of The Spire, the stained glass windows create the perfect atmosphere for an eerie October tale of monsters and men.
The company prides themselves on a bold visual style and for excellent reason. You will not see better staging, set or design anywhere in Brighton.
For those unfamiliar with the book, Frankenstein is a sprawling narrative that bounces through multiple perspectives and times. It is a pretty hefty challenge for anyone to adapt but director, writer and stitched-together star Gary Sefton does an excellent job of streamlining the story into a tight hour that captures all of Frankenstein’s madness and the creature’s torment.
The speed of the storytelling does leave us somewhat light on the story of Victor (Tom Wainwright) and his fiancée Elizabeth (Laura Schofield) but his fractured mind is expertly depicted through ethereal and haunting visions and a stellar performance from Wainwright. The entire cast ensures that there isn’t a scene that doesn’t hit or a visual that doesn’t reach its grandest height.
The show summons your full attention from its first moment, as Victor rolls in his creation tucked away under a sheet and screams to the skies for the power to bring life to his dark creation. As the cloth is thrown off and lightning strikes down upon the creature, small children ducked behind their mother’s coats as this being shuddered into life with rasping breaths. I don’t want to give anymore of the play away, but wow.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a refreshingly daring and towering performance that drips with character and creativity. The venue is a sight to behold, the choices are artistic and bold and the story thrills as it unfolds. TRUESTORY continue to be the top dog when it comes to Halloween events in Brighton and anyone who loves the spooky season should get their tickets while they still can.
