Frankenstein - NT Live
So I went to see this tonight, I liked it...
So I saw It at my local Cineworld, Missed it live which I regretted at the time but money was tight.
I saw it with Benedict Cumberbatch as The Creature, Jonny Lee Miller next week, and it was a master class in acting. Yeah I know that sounds a bit wanky, "Oh Lovie you were sublime", but in all honesty could any of you here see yourselves flailing and crawling around on a stage alone, naked (loin-clothed in the filmed version, Damnit!) for 15 minutes? Not just flopping around like a fish but a real performance with emotion and confusion and trying to stand and walk and run and feel and then when another person does join you on stage to be rejected. That's vulnerability, my respect for Ben grew in that moment and it was already pretty fucking high.
After Victor enters then leaves and The Creature meets and is abused by other people, Ben is pretty much carrying the show for a good half hour, I'm guessing, didn't time it, until The Creature meets the Blind man and he carries it well. After we meet De Lacy and his family it follows a more conventional play pattern, at least 2 people on stage interacting, but I was glued and am not afraid to admit I cried at the end. This was great on the silver screen it must have been unbelievable live.
A note on the rest of cast, all great of course, however I was intrigued by the colour blind casting Of Victors Father and Cousin/Bride. I like it when people are cast for talent and not for 'If the face fit's'. That said I've not read the book so I may have just made myself look like Muppet. :P
Now to share some of my personal thoughts and feelings on some specific aspects Of Benedict's performance.
In the Mini Docu they showed before the play he said that he studied footage of victims of stroke and other traumas to see their progress, how they had to relearn the skills they have lost and took that as his inspiration for The Creature's development, especially for the first half hour (that's my interpretation, not direct quote), but the first half hour, the physicalness of the performance, is where the research shows the most.
I've never really mentioned this before, mostly because I've never felt the need to, my youngest Nephew has hemiplegia, it has been proven to be caused by a Stroke in the womb. This is a freak occurrence, 1 in a 1000, my sister did everything right. My sister and her husband picked up on it fast, he was diagnosed and started physiotherapy before he was 1. He's 5 next week and is an amazing, clever, funny, loving little kid. He goes to school he play fights with his brother he gets moody. He's a normal kid who just happens to be differently abled.
I mention this not to play proud auntie, although I am, but to compare.
When I watched Bens performance, with the lack of co-ordination and the inability to use his hand fully, it made me think of my nephew in the best way. He reminded me of watching Nephew grow up and his development and how he adapts and continues to grow and learn and develop. There was so much honesty and respect in Ben performance that I was genuinely moved and touched by it. I have not known any adult stroke/Trauma patients so I can't say how it compares but for my experience he really did his homework.
To contrast Jonny Lee said he took inspiration from his 2 year old, I look forward to seeing his interpretation.
Overall if you can get to see this do so, it is an experience that will stay with me.
Thanks for reading, was a bit longer than expected.
Love to all.
Phe
So I saw It at my local Cineworld, Missed it live which I regretted at the time but money was tight.
I saw it with Benedict Cumberbatch as The Creature, Jonny Lee Miller next week, and it was a master class in acting. Yeah I know that sounds a bit wanky, "Oh Lovie you were sublime", but in all honesty could any of you here see yourselves flailing and crawling around on a stage alone, naked (loin-clothed in the filmed version, Damnit!) for 15 minutes? Not just flopping around like a fish but a real performance with emotion and confusion and trying to stand and walk and run and feel and then when another person does join you on stage to be rejected. That's vulnerability, my respect for Ben grew in that moment and it was already pretty fucking high.
After Victor enters then leaves and The Creature meets and is abused by other people, Ben is pretty much carrying the show for a good half hour, I'm guessing, didn't time it, until The Creature meets the Blind man and he carries it well. After we meet De Lacy and his family it follows a more conventional play pattern, at least 2 people on stage interacting, but I was glued and am not afraid to admit I cried at the end. This was great on the silver screen it must have been unbelievable live.
A note on the rest of cast, all great of course, however I was intrigued by the colour blind casting Of Victors Father and Cousin/Bride. I like it when people are cast for talent and not for 'If the face fit's'. That said I've not read the book so I may have just made myself look like Muppet. :P
Now to share some of my personal thoughts and feelings on some specific aspects Of Benedict's performance.
In the Mini Docu they showed before the play he said that he studied footage of victims of stroke and other traumas to see their progress, how they had to relearn the skills they have lost and took that as his inspiration for The Creature's development, especially for the first half hour (that's my interpretation, not direct quote), but the first half hour, the physicalness of the performance, is where the research shows the most.
I've never really mentioned this before, mostly because I've never felt the need to, my youngest Nephew has hemiplegia, it has been proven to be caused by a Stroke in the womb. This is a freak occurrence, 1 in a 1000, my sister did everything right. My sister and her husband picked up on it fast, he was diagnosed and started physiotherapy before he was 1. He's 5 next week and is an amazing, clever, funny, loving little kid. He goes to school he play fights with his brother he gets moody. He's a normal kid who just happens to be differently abled.
I mention this not to play proud auntie, although I am, but to compare.
When I watched Bens performance, with the lack of co-ordination and the inability to use his hand fully, it made me think of my nephew in the best way. He reminded me of watching Nephew grow up and his development and how he adapts and continues to grow and learn and develop. There was so much honesty and respect in Ben performance that I was genuinely moved and touched by it. I have not known any adult stroke/Trauma patients so I can't say how it compares but for my experience he really did his homework.
To contrast Jonny Lee said he took inspiration from his 2 year old, I look forward to seeing his interpretation.
Overall if you can get to see this do so, it is an experience that will stay with me.
Thanks for reading, was a bit longer than expected.
Love to all.
Phe