Frankenstein stage show in Sydney: Classic monster tale has modern resonance

What do you really know of Frankenstein?

Is it the image of Boris Karloff, lumbering about in black and white, with the downcast dead eyes and the bolts sticking out of his neck? Is it of a green-hued monster being foiled by the Scooby Gang?

The character has inspired the screen world for a century, with everything from Metropolis and Poor Things to Weird Science and an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Even for those who know Frankenstein is the scientist who created the monster and not the name of the monster itself, the creature has loomed large in the cultural consciousness. Maybe you’ve never read Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel but you have some conception of Frankenstein.

A stage show of Shelley’s gothic sci-fi story is about to open in Sydney at the Theatre Royal after successful runs in Brisbane and Melbourne, a blockbuster production with 150 square metres of LED video walls, five flying slabs, 12 smoke machines and lots of lighting.

It will have bells and whistles but the core of Frankenstein remains Shelley’s story, which, more than 200 years on, still punches.

The tale is of Dr Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a humanoid who he then abandons after perceiving of him as a monster. Since its publication, the question has persisted, who is the monster here — the creature or his creator?

“It’s a classic, and so many people love this story and a lot of people know the story or feel they’re familiar with it, and that’s what we wanted to present to the audience, something they love,” Frankenstein director Nick Skubij told The Nightly.

“You want to be true to that and make sure we don’t reset it in space or anything like that.”

Skubij and writer Nelle Lee are part of Shake & Stir, the theatre company behind the production. The ensemble produces plays from well-known properties including Sister Act, A Christmas Carol and Grimm, which is currently on stage in Brisbane.

Skubij said that with the challenges of cost-of-living, theatre can be seen as a luxury. But there’s “escapism in returning to these classics, and there is a familiarity with it, which is really comforting for audiences”.

He added, “We want to make sure that if they’re going to cough up (the ticket price), we have an obligation to make sure they have a good time and they’re getting value for money and they’re entertained.”

The thing with Shelley and Frankenstein is you don’t have to “modernise” it. The story was already well ahead of its time and has been considered, by some, to be the first popular sci-fi work.

Shelley wrote the novel during the industrial revolution when anxieties were high about new technologies, and machines looked to replace human labour and craft. Frankenstein’s creation is symbolic of that.

Fast forward two centuries and those same angsts overwhelm any conversation about artificial intelligence.

“(Frankenstein) has created something that, not unlike AI, seems to have quickly superseded his own comprehension of the world, and that’s very challenging and that leads to his downfall.

“There’s a scene written in our version … that is a reflection on what happens to the farmers and manual labourers once machines come in and supersede them and they’re out without a job. That’s the AI conversation.

“It’s supposed to help us, and there’s great potential for it to help us, but there’s also potential for it to go unchecked and then destroy stuff.”

The original subtitle for Shelley’s novel is “The Modern Prometheus”, which is rarely used now, but it speaks to the parable in her work, a warning about creation without consideration.

Lee, who adapted Shelley for this production, can see the cautionary tale in the story, which also applies to what’s happening in the real world.

“In 2024, when things are just so fast, it’s really important to make sure we take stock of why we’re doing things and making sure that you’ve got a really strong moral compass as to where you stand on certain things, and making sure that we are not taking away the best bits of humanity,” she said.

Ultimately, Frankenstein is a tragedy, for both the creator and his creation.

Lee added, “The creature is one of the most heartbreaking characters that has been written. He’s vilified, and the idea of this green monster with the bolt across his neck is such an iconic image.

“What he wants is love. The idea of him continuously trying to find that connection and the way he learns how to love and what love is, it’s so beautiful. When that’s stripped from him and he says, ‘I’m fearless’ and he talks about how dangerous is he now, that he has no hope.

“It’s such a beautiful reflection on what we are as humans and how it’s love and hope that drive us forward.”

Frankenstein is playing at Theatre Royal in Sydney until October 13