(no subject)
So on Tuesday theoret and I went on an epic voyage to London to see Frankenstein at the National Theatre. We had Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein (they swap roles alternately, if you didn't already know) and it was SO FREAKING GOOD.
OH NATIONAL THEATRE, YOUR PRODUCTION VALUES ARE ALWAYS SO HIGH. The set design was great but oh the lighting, internet. The lighting. It is hard to describe, but there was this massive panel suspended over the stage/audience with APPROXIMATELY ONE BILLION (exaggeration) lightbulbs hanging from it and everything they did was just perfect, sometimes all blazing with SCIENCE! and sometimes twinkling like stars *_* One of my favourite parts in the whole entire play was when Victor was having Bad Thoughts about building the Creature a bride and the bulbs overhead started to fizzle on in a vaguely sinister wave of light. Mmmmm lighting reflecting a character’s internal thoughts, you are my favourite of all the lighting.
ALSO THE MUSIC WAS AMAZING THE MUSIC WAS SO GOOD. It brought tears to my eyes at times. #overemotionalsap I was so excited to discover it is for sale online. /LISTENING TO MY DOWNLOADED ALBUM AS I TYPE
So anyway, Them Thespians and their Acting.
Theo and I had both been sliiiightly hoping we’d get Benedict as the creature, but we forgot all about that in the opening scene because Jonny’s Creature was so endearing and Benedict’s Victor was so... tall. Here is where I quickly fangirl Jonny Lee Miller because I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything before and he was PHENOMENAL OMG. The way he moved as the Creature was like part motor condition and part dance. Never again shall I picture Frankenstein’s Monster was the lumbering, clunky, zombie-type thing that we tend to see. So four for you, Jonny Lee Miller.
Also, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH YOU DONE GOOD *_______* I am trying not to put my theatre nerd hat on (not least because it is so long since I have done any theatre nerding I would probably be shit at it by now), but ummmm he was really good? Like I have a great big ol’ fangirl crush on Jonny Lee Miller Being The Creature now so he was stealing basically every scene he was in for me, excellent though everyone in the production was, but he didn’t steal anything from the BCumb. VICTORDICT FRANKENBATCH: CRAZY AND MESMERISING. There were times when he just touched his face and it sucked all the breath out of my lungs in a vacuum of Good Acting Being Done *waves hands around inarticulately*
Also also, THE ENDING WAS SUCH A GOOD ENDING. Excellent though Frankenstein was it hasn’t quite managed to knock Coram Boy from my #1 spot of overall fantasticness, but THE ENDING WAS PERHAPS THE BEST ENDING OF ANY PLAY I HAVE EVER SEEN EVER? It brought tears to my eyes.
And then one thousand people applauded thunderously for five minutes and it brought tears to my eyes of a different sort entirely. OW WHAT A HEADACHE THAT WAS OMG. But Theo and I joined in the standing ovation, because that shit deserved it.
AND THEN WE SPENT OVER HALF AN HOUR LURKING ANXIOUSLY OUTSIDE THE STAGE DOOR WONDERING IF ANYONE WOULD COME OUT TO SIGN THINGS AND FEELING KIND OF SLIGHTLY RELIEVED THAT NOBODY DID, THE END. I just wanted to bash that out whilst the feelings were still relatively ~fresh~ (although perhaps not so very coherent, considering what a tiring couple of days it has been) and now to bed. Other tales of Theo/Tree hijinks can wait til it is less gone one in the morning.
OH NATIONAL THEATRE, YOUR PRODUCTION VALUES ARE ALWAYS SO HIGH. The set design was great but oh the lighting, internet. The lighting. It is hard to describe, but there was this massive panel suspended over the stage/audience with APPROXIMATELY ONE BILLION (exaggeration) lightbulbs hanging from it and everything they did was just perfect, sometimes all blazing with SCIENCE! and sometimes twinkling like stars *_* One of my favourite parts in the whole entire play was when Victor was having Bad Thoughts about building the Creature a bride and the bulbs overhead started to fizzle on in a vaguely sinister wave of light. Mmmmm lighting reflecting a character’s internal thoughts, you are my favourite of all the lighting.
ALSO THE MUSIC WAS AMAZING THE MUSIC WAS SO GOOD. It brought tears to my eyes at times. #overemotionalsap I was so excited to discover it is for sale online. /LISTENING TO MY DOWNLOADED ALBUM AS I TYPE
So anyway, Them Thespians and their Acting.
Theo and I had both been sliiiightly hoping we’d get Benedict as the creature, but we forgot all about that in the opening scene because Jonny’s Creature was so endearing and Benedict’s Victor was so... tall. Here is where I quickly fangirl Jonny Lee Miller because I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything before and he was PHENOMENAL OMG. The way he moved as the Creature was like part motor condition and part dance. Never again shall I picture Frankenstein’s Monster was the lumbering, clunky, zombie-type thing that we tend to see. So four for you, Jonny Lee Miller.
Also, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH YOU DONE GOOD *_______* I am trying not to put my theatre nerd hat on (not least because it is so long since I have done any theatre nerding I would probably be shit at it by now), but ummmm he was really good? Like I have a great big ol’ fangirl crush on Jonny Lee Miller Being The Creature now so he was stealing basically every scene he was in for me, excellent though everyone in the production was, but he didn’t steal anything from the BCumb. VICTORDICT FRANKENBATCH: CRAZY AND MESMERISING. There were times when he just touched his face and it sucked all the breath out of my lungs in a vacuum of Good Acting Being Done *waves hands around inarticulately*
Also also, THE ENDING WAS SUCH A GOOD ENDING. Excellent though Frankenstein was it hasn’t quite managed to knock Coram Boy from my #1 spot of overall fantasticness, but THE ENDING WAS PERHAPS THE BEST ENDING OF ANY PLAY I HAVE EVER SEEN EVER? It brought tears to my eyes.
And then one thousand people applauded thunderously for five minutes and it brought tears to my eyes of a different sort entirely. OW WHAT A HEADACHE THAT WAS OMG. But Theo and I joined in the standing ovation, because that shit deserved it.
AND THEN WE SPENT OVER HALF AN HOUR LURKING ANXIOUSLY OUTSIDE THE STAGE DOOR WONDERING IF ANYONE WOULD COME OUT TO SIGN THINGS AND FEELING KIND OF SLIGHTLY RELIEVED THAT NOBODY DID, THE END. I just wanted to bash that out whilst the feelings were still relatively ~fresh~ (although perhaps not so very coherent, considering what a tiring couple of days it has been) and now to bed. Other tales of Theo/Tree hijinks can wait til it is less gone one in the morning.