Monstrously big production of Frankenstein premieres

Live on stage has a whole new meaning when it comes to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Brisbane’s Shake & Stir has created a new adaptation of the gothic classic, widely regarded as the first science fiction novel, which will premiere on Saturday.

Bringing Frankenstein’s monster to life is the biggest production yet for the company, which is increasingly looking to the world of commercial theatre to develop and tour its original shows.

“Other cities tend to lead the way in new work … we really like the idea of creating big theatre here and premiering it in Brisbane,” said artistic director Nick Skubij.

With Frankenstein promising an automated set, aerial feats, and video elements, it looks like being, well, a monstrously big show.

But what does a play based on Shelley’s 1818 text, in which scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a living creature from the remains of the dead, still have to say to contemporary audiences?

The novel was set at a time of great change and grapples with the notion of new technology getting out of hand.

It’s an idea that could not be more relevant in the age of artificial intelligence, he said.

“Classics are great, they’re around for a reason, they have fantastic stories and they’ve endured the test of time,” Skubij told AAP.

The Shake & Stir production does nod to the iconic 1931 Boris Karloff film, in which Frankenstein’s monster has a flat head and bolts on his neck.

But otherwise the company has tried not to delve too deeply into the many previous adaptations of the novel, instead they have tried to put their own stamp on the classic.

While Frankenstein’s monster barely spoke in the Boris Karloff version, Shake & Stir has the monster as the most eloquent character onstage.

“That’s why it’s so disarming and surprising – it’s not what we expect,” said Skubij.

The play is another step in Shake & Stir’s exploration of gothic literature, with previous productions of Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol and Dracula.

The Sydney Theatre Company has also been drinking from the same dark well of inspiration, with its video-theatre trio of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde tying up with Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 2024.

For Shake & Stir, which toured its version of Dracula extensively in recent years, the use of video elements is more in support of the live theatre piece, with the focus remaining on the actors, said Skubij.

Frankenstein premieres at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Playhouse from Saturday until October 28.