AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Frankenstein - The Garrick Playhouse, Altrincham, Manchester.

Mary Shelley was just 18 years old when she wrote what is now considered a classic novel; Frankenstein. 206 years since she first began writing the novel, it is still being performed in theatres around the world. Nowadays it is more associated with Hallowe'en than a cold night in January. However, I certainly was given a night to remember and think this will be a production spoken about for months to come.

People often make the mistake that Frankenstein is the name of the monster, however, it is the name of the scientist who creates it. In this production the ‘monster’ is known as The Creature - a lonely figure who just wants to be loved.

I’ve seen a few productions at the Altrincham Garrick over the years, and some have been beter than others, but I can hands down say that their 2022 production of Frankenstein is the best thing I’ve ever seen on stage at the Garrick. I’d go as far as saying a professional theatre such as The Royal Exchange would have been honoured to have a production of this quality on its stage.

Some people have many preconceived ideas about amateur dramatics, or as I prefer to call it ‘non-professional theatre’. However, I would ask any of those to watch the Garrick’s production of Frankenstein to challenge their views.

Rhys Nuttall was absolutely sublime as ‘The Creature’. Everything about his portrayal of The Creature was just on point - his movements, posture, the way he brought the character to life. Some actors at the best of times struggle to lift the script off the page, Nuttall did it without even needing words. It came as no surprise to me that he was also the Movement Director for the production - you could tell each step he took was carefully executed. His presence was one to behold in a way it almost made the rest of the cast irrelevant.

In the beginning, anyone would be scared of The Creature - a semi-naked man who can barely move or speak. However, as the story unfolds we witness him learning how to live. He meets a blind peasant played by Hugh Everett and spends a whole year in his company. It’s here where he learns to speak and almost experiences what it is like to be human. He also not only learns to read but to appreciate literature. Until then everyone just sees him as a freak, incapable of love. It’s rather ironic that it takes a blind to see this. These scenes were a pleasure to watch and just so beautiful to see two people learn so much from each other.

The entire production takes the audience on a journey through the seasons. This was fantastically captured by the director; Barry J.C. Purves. I especially loved the scenes which included the elements of leaves and snow. From the word go the audience is transported to another world, which is all you can ask of any director.

When you look beneath the surface Frankenstein is actually quite a sad story. The themes of loneliness and rejection are key to the production. This was my first time seeing Frankenstein performed and will most certainly be watching it again. It really got me thinking, how much have we really moved on as a society - if we see something unusual, do we try to offer to help, or do we walk away?

Frankenstein does raise a lot of questions - what is it that defines good and evil? Is someone born evil, or is it something that society makes them? And ultimately what are the consequences of our actions? The production serves as a reminder that we shouldn’t tamper with things and let them be.

Reviewer - Brian Madden
on - 17.1.22