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thoughts on the NT Live screening of Frankenstein
I went to see the screening of Sherlock tonight at the Coolidge Corner theatre tonight. I am still honestly trying to collect my thoughts on everything I saw, so this is mostly going to be a thought-dump.
First, I have a confession. I have never actually read the original Frankenstein. So I won't be able to speak to the adaptation and if anything I saw is particularly "DUH!"-inducing... then, oops.
Tonight's show was with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller and Victor Frankenstein.
The play basically runs from the POV of the Creature and opens with his "birth". I had read reports about the play that I thought had prepared me a bit for this scene, but I was soooo wrong. In the non-filmed-for-screening shows, the Creature is born completely nude. For the screening, Benedict was covered up with some nude-colored cloth. I am still torn on my thoughts about this change. On the one hand, I agree that being confronted with the nudity during this entire set of scenes really creates a different impact (also, I am shallow). But thinking back on some of the actions/movements, I feel like maybe it would have been distracting/awkward/i would have wanted to die. EXCEPT THAT THIS IS WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. SO TORN.
ANYWAY. So the opening scene was some absolutely brilliant acting. Watching the Creature trying to figure out how to move and stand was amazing. It's like..... babies and toddlers are doing the same thing, learning how to move, but they're not doing it ALL AT ONCE. Like, a baby is born without the ability to actually do that business, but the Creature is born with a developed body and brain that SHOULD be fully developed, so there is this disconnect. It was incredibly difficult to watch. Arms and legs aren't supposed to move like that and I can see why there were/are so many injuries from the part.
Watching the Creature develop through the course of the play was fascinating. The way he kind of developed his own set of morals and beliefs through the eyes of the teachers around him. And this was paralleled (in a way) by Victor's own descent into..... crazy mad-scientist world.
.....This is getting less articulate by the second. The issues of love and evil were fascinating and have inspired many thinky thoughts in my head.
The acting was AWESOME. I read some reviews stating that the play is at its best when both Benedict and Jonny are on stage together. This is absolutely true. The supporting cast was excellent, but there was this extra.. something.. whenever they were interacting. The discussion of love.. and the ending scene. I don't think I took a single breath for the entire ending scene.
I HAD SO MANY THOUGHTS. AND NOW IT'S 1AM AND I'M JUST LIKE, TYPING IS HARD. Argh!
I think the general summary of this... is that it is a lot of process. I sat in the theatre for a while after and just.... sat there. Because I needed some time to like, come back to reality or something.
I will be very interested to see how this plays out on the 4th when I see the roles switched. I will definitely have more thoughts then.
Oh! One thing I forgot. Before the play, they showed a short "behind the scenes".. thing. They showed some rehearsal footage (SO. COOL.) and there were some short interview clips. One thing I found interesting is that Benedict said that he took cues from stroke victims & war casualties, whereas Jonny mentioned taking cues from his 2 year old. I'm sure that's not ALL, but it will be interesting to see how they take the same character and make it their own.
OH LOOK I KEEP THINKING OF THINGS TO SAY.
The STAGING. With the rotating center part and the pieces rising and sinking in the center. And the way the space was used, especially with the Creature often dashing off and UP the scenery at high speeds. Totally amazing.
And now I will stop. If I think of more, there will be more posts I'm sure. Pretty sure my dreams are going to be haunted by this play.
First, I have a confession. I have never actually read the original Frankenstein. So I won't be able to speak to the adaptation and if anything I saw is particularly "DUH!"-inducing... then, oops.
Tonight's show was with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller and Victor Frankenstein.
The play basically runs from the POV of the Creature and opens with his "birth". I had read reports about the play that I thought had prepared me a bit for this scene, but I was soooo wrong. In the non-filmed-for-screening shows, the Creature is born completely nude. For the screening, Benedict was covered up with some nude-colored cloth. I am still torn on my thoughts about this change. On the one hand, I agree that being confronted with the nudity during this entire set of scenes really creates a different impact (also, I am shallow). But thinking back on some of the actions/movements, I feel like maybe it would have been distracting/awkward/i would have wanted to die. EXCEPT THAT THIS IS WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. SO TORN.
ANYWAY. So the opening scene was some absolutely brilliant acting. Watching the Creature trying to figure out how to move and stand was amazing. It's like..... babies and toddlers are doing the same thing, learning how to move, but they're not doing it ALL AT ONCE. Like, a baby is born without the ability to actually do that business, but the Creature is born with a developed body and brain that SHOULD be fully developed, so there is this disconnect. It was incredibly difficult to watch. Arms and legs aren't supposed to move like that and I can see why there were/are so many injuries from the part.
Watching the Creature develop through the course of the play was fascinating. The way he kind of developed his own set of morals and beliefs through the eyes of the teachers around him. And this was paralleled (in a way) by Victor's own descent into..... crazy mad-scientist world.
.....This is getting less articulate by the second. The issues of love and evil were fascinating and have inspired many thinky thoughts in my head.
The acting was AWESOME. I read some reviews stating that the play is at its best when both Benedict and Jonny are on stage together. This is absolutely true. The supporting cast was excellent, but there was this extra.. something.. whenever they were interacting. The discussion of love.. and the ending scene. I don't think I took a single breath for the entire ending scene.
I HAD SO MANY THOUGHTS. AND NOW IT'S 1AM AND I'M JUST LIKE, TYPING IS HARD. Argh!
I think the general summary of this... is that it is a lot of process. I sat in the theatre for a while after and just.... sat there. Because I needed some time to like, come back to reality or something.
I will be very interested to see how this plays out on the 4th when I see the roles switched. I will definitely have more thoughts then.
Oh! One thing I forgot. Before the play, they showed a short "behind the scenes".. thing. They showed some rehearsal footage (SO. COOL.) and there were some short interview clips. One thing I found interesting is that Benedict said that he took cues from stroke victims & war casualties, whereas Jonny mentioned taking cues from his 2 year old. I'm sure that's not ALL, but it will be interesting to see how they take the same character and make it their own.
OH LOOK I KEEP THINKING OF THINGS TO SAY.
The STAGING. With the rotating center part and the pieces rising and sinking in the center. And the way the space was used, especially with the Creature often dashing off and UP the scenery at high speeds. Totally amazing.
And now I will stop. If I think of more, there will be more posts I'm sure. Pretty sure my dreams are going to be haunted by this play.
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You haven't read the orig!Frankenstein?
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I cannot wait until I see it in 2 weeks - and then i will flail at you - so sorry, but that is a given, you must accept the flail again. And then again on the 4rth and then again on the 9th. Cause Frankenstein is a total flail experience. And bees, i tell ya - what - oh sorry, wrong area. Honey tho.
Have a Victor icon, I do not yet have a creature one. and <3 too
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And please, I WANT ALL YOUR FLAIL. After all, I see it one more time and I will have so much to talk about again with the switch. Plus, still processing last night.
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The opening scene, I felt as though I shouldn't even be watching, it was so awkward and realistic. The final scene? I almost cried! I thought his Creature was beyond amazing, I wish I could watch it again right now. FOREVER AND EVER.
And the set, and the way BENEDICT leapt all over it, and the scenes when he just wanted help, or love from Victor. . . it was just amazing!
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The set was awesome. I want to get in there and play with it, see how it worked! It was very 3-dimensional with the leaping and the climbing and the spinning.
Are you going to have a chance to see the reversal?
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It was an amazing set, considerng it came out of nowhere and then there were houses and trains and places for people to climb up. Very intriguing to see how it works.
I doubt that I'll be able to get tickets for it, and I don't know how I feel about that. On the one side, I'd love to see the differences in how they play the characters, and on the other, I don't want it to... take away from the performance I saw? Will you be seeing it?
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Yes I will be seeing the reverse in a couple weeks! I actually had that ticket first because I have class on Thursdays and was worried I wouldn't make this past showing. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the reverse. From reviews, it sounds like the portrayals are different enough that it wouldn't take away from what I already saw. We shall see!