Frankenstein - imitating the dog and leeds playhouse, by Lily Medwin

[Pictures taken by: Ed Waring]

Frankenstein – a classic novel emphasising themes of loss, identity, fate and free will, nature, affection, exploration and science and most of all consequence. This imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse co-production of Frankenstein, put on at the Oxford Playhouse, was a respectable interpretation of lack of parental responsibility vs parental responsibility (as a main focal point) and the conflict that can come within this, as well as the poignant scientific obsession of knowledge. 

The deep, probing story was an interesting representation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, including multiple elements of technology, impressive dance and important presentations of the parallels between the two plots. These parallels were shown as one, of the classic novel and the characters Walton and Frankenstein, relaying the series of events Frankenstein went through during the creation of the monster and the other, a parallel of a modern couple discovering that they were pregnant and discussing, continually what steps they should take, to ensure the best outcome for their child - the man being more hesitant at the beginning to go through with the birth, which showed the subconscious fears that Frankenstein had during the creation of the monster.

Imitating the dog are a company ‘making work for theatres and other spaces for more than 20 years, the work has been seen across the world’ (reference from the website). This company’s premise is to create illusionistic work from digital technology, which introduces intriguing ideas of the portrayal of the productions, in ways you may have never thought to have been used before. To the play’s specifics – the digital use of graphic technology could have been seen as a show of the inner turmoil of Frankenstein’s mind. 

The company have been and are on tour with this production, around Oxford, Leeds, Watford, Salford Quays and even Switzerland, with many more. Having only been on tour in Oxford for 3 nights, seeing this play on the first was a real pleasure and really put into terms how impactful, intriguing and just a bit of fun seeing this play would be, each time they are to do it. 

With this use of digital technology, we the audience, were mesmerised with a striking play of light, impactful spotlights and (at times) slightly intimidating voice enhancements. This, most significantly, all came tied tightly together in a smart, efficient package when the actors Georgia-Mae Myers and Nedum Okonyia enlightened us with physically close connected and incredible movements of dance choreography. One of the moments that especially stuck with me, was in the second half, when Nedum managed to lift his entire body off of the ground – upside down bearing in mind – with only the support of Georgia-Mae’s legs! Just how strong they both have to be and how they must have an insane amount of trust in each other is simply, impressive. Being utterly inflexible myself, this was a move which astounded me and was pulled off with dignified class and added to the performance’s depth by miles.

The opening set itself, was of muted colours, simplistic scenery and a sterile environment (which was fitting of the context of the novel) but this was only momentarily for when imitating the dog’s vast technologies and interpretations came into play, the stage and story was lit up, introducing a powerful performance of Frankenstein. 

To expand on what, we the audience were envisaged with, was a clever tie of the two parallels shown through the shipping forecast reciting being on in the background a lot of the time. This background noise was on especially, when relaying the boat scenes in Frankenstein which showed a neat tie of the two parallels together, as once the plot switched back to the modern couple, the shipping forecast stayed on. 

Another clever tie shown in the play, was the presentation of the homeless man hovering outside the couple’s house, specifically in the second half. This occurred after Victor destroys the monster’s wife, as he realises cannot perform such an immoral task and expand on his creations, we then hear a screeching howl echoing from the monster’s depth of despair. This howl continued over to the modern couple which is depicted to come from the seemingly crazy homeless man outside. This was an interesting example of how the production was enhancing these parallels and showing the reality of them, as if the crazy man outside is a modern day Victor Frankenstein going nuts as he has finally reached a capacity of immorality for what he was doing and a disappointment in himself – which was shown through the homelessness in the modern day parallel.

These modern day/ classic parallels emphasised the point the production was trying to get across, that a lot of the themes in the novel are applicable to today’s society, obsession being one that is inevitably in everyday life. 

Music. Impact. Emotion. 

The music used in the play, ‘Mahler’ added an incredible impact to the performance, all throughout – start to finish. 

Movement. Impact. Emotion. 

Another movement piece that also stuck with me through the play, was the dramatic, long black caped figure going across the stage – this was powerful, illusive and also showed very well the pacing of grief that Victor experiences and how it slowly overcame him and his entire being. This scene was gripping, striking and very well done. 

This play was a very good depiction of the cyclicality that the novel of Frankenstein has. This was enhanced, specifically when Victor speaks to Walton saying how he ‘seeks the one who flees from me’ which showed a good representation of the desperation Victor came to and how he was entirely at his wits end. This was also shown when the monster says, in the first half, ‘since I begin a nothing, with nothing’, which I thought to be an important line to the context of the play and the theme of loss. 

A baby cries. The end. This was an effective conclusion to a vast, dark and illuding performance. The demonstration of the comparable plots showed a link of new life being created with the modern couple and with the monster stepping into a new chapter of his life after the death of Frankenstein, emphasing the idea of new life and rebirth.

As an overall review of the play, it was not exactly a leisurely watch and you definitely want to be full of caffeine to be able to fully experience and absorb the impressive interpretations and quantity of the depth of the novel itself. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of dance and the clever quips and references to the modern world, such as google maps and a&e, which definitely lightened the load of the play’s intentions, for the audience’s benefit. As well as this, I enjoyed the clever parallels of the plots and I found that it was an impressive take on Shelley’s complex novel and one that is certainly not easy to execute. 

This imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse co-production of Frankenstein was one tied in a neat package which strings can endlessly unwrap the more you open it.