Monstrously good Mary Shelley

Ann Cee
May 20
2 min read

Elysia Sully as Mary Shelley and Adam Turner as Victor Frankenstein. Photo by Robert Warner.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at The Talisman Theatre and Arts Centre, Kenilworth, from 19 - 24 May. Adapted for the stage by Rona Munro, directed by Kathy Buckingham-Underhill.

Review by Ann Cee

Do you love a bit of gothic story telling? A few dead and bloodied bodies lolling about on the stage? Have you ever wondered about Mary Shelly’s creative process and how she constructed her literary masterpiece ‘Frankenstein’?

This play, ‘Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein’, adapted for the stage by Rona Munro, is a masterpiece in its own right and is fabulously directed at the Talisman by Kathy Buckingham Underhill.

A few dead bodies on the Talisman stage. Photo by Robert Warner.

Elysia Sully takes the demanding role of Shelly and is superb at it. She switches effortlessly between the private ruminations of a writer at her writing desk, with interactions with her emerging characters as she works out ‘what happens next and why?’ but also horrifying herself in the process.

Elysia Sully as Mary Shelley. Phto by Robert Warner.

This is a slick production with enough gore and cruelty to make me cringe and squirm, alongside subtle handling of some of the most gruesome human behaviours and ‘justice’. It certainly made me reflect on the thin line between ethical scientific research and the unimaginably, unpredictable consequences and even, for some, personal disaster.

Currently at the Talisman. Photo by Robert Warner.

Adam Turner was a wonderful, privileged Frankenstein, a young man who pushed the bounds of science and paid the price with his health and his relationships. His obsession with knowledge was intense as were his collapses into despair. Lucky for him, he had a steadfast support system behind him. Every one of us would benefit from such a loyal friend as Henry (Henri West), a loving father (Stuart Skelly) and a patient partner, Elizabeth (Alexandra Newman). All three propped up the edgy and needy Frankenstein with kindness, warmth and practical interventions – they felt a little Walton-esque in their wholesomeness which was a useful foil for showing Frankenstein’s increasing shift out of mainstream society.