Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster follows six talented performers who interpret Mary Shelley’s classic novel from their own perspective; as young people growing up in 21st-century Britain. Using only their own mouths to make every sound in the film, they explore how today’s society creates its own monsters. Boldly deconstructing then re-inventing Shelly’s original, the formidable young artists fuse contemporary and universal themes such as isolation, pressure to conform and demonising people based on class and race, with creative beats, soundscapes and raw rhythmic storytelling.
The film is co-created by the cast, emerging artists ABH (Alexander Belgarion Hackett), Aminita (Aminita Francis), Glitch (Nadine Rose Johnson), Grove (Beth Griffin), Native The Cr8ive (Nathaniel Forder-Staple) and Wiz-RD (Tyler Worthington), the production’s co-directors Conrad Murray (High Rise eState of Mind) and David Cumming (Operation Mincemeat), and the award-winning, multi-disciplinary film-maker Geej Ower (Alone Together, The Intersex Diaries); working collaboratively together to create a fusion of thrilling live performance and intimate filmmaking.
200 years after the 18-year-old Mary Shelley wrote the text, six young artists bring their own interpretation of the Frankenstein story to life with a dazzling array of vocal talents including rap, beatboxing and song; the cast create a breath-taking musical soundscape filled with memorable original tracks with the cast’s voices as the only instruments.
The film is the latest achievement for the performance collective, some of whom started their inspiring creative journey with BAC Beatbox Academy over 10 years ago. Academy members have developed and adapted the production over the years, starting with a small-scale Scratch performance which encouraged feedback from the audience. Accolades along the way include sell out runs at Battersea Arts Centre, a national tour, being the highest rated show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 and receiving rave reviews at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2020 (further dates on the international tour have been paused due to COVID-19).
The unanimously 5-star-rated live show is a co-creation by the wider BAC Beatbox Academy and Battersea Arts Centre. This means it has been co-authored by the cast at every stage, who also shape all aspects of presenting the show in its different incarnations. The South West London-based collective of beatboxers, rappers and vocalists make original, a-capella, cross-genre hip-hop and spoken word, specialising in live improvisation, under the direction of musician Conrad Murray.
The film, Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster, is performed by ABH (Alexander Belgarion Hackett), Aminita (Aminita Francis), Glitch (Nadine Rose Johnson), Grove (Beth Griffin), Native The Cr8ive (Nathaniel Forder-Staple) and Wiz-RD (Tyler Worthington), written and created by the cast, Conrad Murray, David Cumming and Germane Marvel, with additional material by Alex Reisus, Lara Taylor, Lemmar Martin, Malachi Alfred-Lecky, Reuben Alfred-Lecky and members of BAC Beatbox Academy. Produced for The Space by Natalie Woolman, Executive Produced for the BBC by Emma Cahusac, Executive Produced by Andrew Fettis, Janie Valentine, Katie Lambert and Martha McQuirk, Produced by Rosie Scudder and Directed and Edited by Geej Ower.
Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster is a brand new, 30 minute musical film commissioned by The Space and BBC Arts and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
A SHORT HISTORY OF BAC BEATBOX ACADEMY AND BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE’S FRANKENSTEIN: HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER
BAC Beatbox Academy is Battersea Arts Centre (BAC)’s home-grown young performance collective for artists aged 8-29 years. Since its inception in 2008, BAC Beatbox Academy has pro-actively engaged harder to reach groups in areas of significant deprivation in Wandsworth. Over the past 12 years of the Academy nurturing rising talent and pushing the boundaries of sound and music, the cast of Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster has developed; from a collective of local participants into highly-accomplished performers and music leaders.
Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster is the first professional co-production by BAC Beatbox Academy and Battersea Arts Centre. It was originally created over two years using Scratch – a gradual process of development, sharing and feedback pioneered at BAC.
After initially enjoying several extended sold out runs at BAC, the company’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in 2019 was a runaway hit; a sold out three-week run in partnership with BAC, Edinburgh International Festival and the Traverse Theatre, where pupils from the neighbouring Leith Academy were integrated into a Festival production for the first time. Following an intensive Beatbox Summer School programme, these pupils created and performed curtain raisers for each show. Most recently the company embarked on a world-wide tour; they were awarded the BankSA ‘Pick of the Week’ at the Adelaide Fringe (Carclew, RCC and BAC) and further dates and venues are yet to be announced.
The company continue to work with young talent and each live show of Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster opens with a curtain raiser - a short performance created through workshops with local young people - and ends with a beatboxing battle.
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