I went to see Mary Shelley at the Winchester Theatre Royal last Thursday.
90% of the plays I've seen have been through academia (I studied Drama for GCSE and Performance Studies for A Level), so it was quite a strange feeling going to see a play; I felt like a "proper grown-up"!
However, I was told about the play by my lecturer; one of his core texts for the module 'The Romantic Novel', which I took in my second semester, was Frankenstein, which I love and want to write about in my dissertation. He also did a talk about Mary Shelley on Wednesday 6th, the official opening night, which I went along to listen to.
Written by Helen Edmundson, the play is set between 1814 - 1816, and chronicles the turbulent period in Shelley's life, including her return from travelling in Scotland, her affair with Percy Bysshe Shelley, the tempestuous relationship with her father - William Godwin - and the death of her first child.
The acting was, for lack of a better term, amazing. The company, Shared Experience, are known for 'pioneering a distinctive performance style that celebrates the union of physical and text-based theatre' (taken from their site, http://www.sharedexperience.org.uk/). This is evident from the first couple of minutes, as the character of Mary Shelley reads her father's recollections of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, whilst another actress re-enacts Wollstonecraft's attempts to drown herself. It was alarmingly realistic, and very physical.
The plot was engaging and, I felt, a very ominous prelude to the writing of Frankenstein. It explained the origins in a way which I hadn't previously thought about, particularly that Godwin was the inspiration behind Victor, and effectively showed how Shelley lived under the shadows of her famous parents until she became famous in her right as an author.
Described by my friend as "An hour and a half of shouting", the play is very intense. But, it's absorbing rather than off-putting, and there were some very amusing moments, primarily caused by the quirky character Jane, Mary's step-sister.
Currently on at The Tricycle Theatre, London, I would definately recommend, especially if you love the book Frankenstein.
5/5
Next post is about my trip to Bird Farm in Gloucestershire. I might even experiment with putting pictures up!!!!
Until then, read David Thorne's website, especially 'Missing Missy' and '10 Formal Complaints'. Guaranteed laughs.
And watch the video for Maroon 5's new single, 'Payphone'. <3 Adam Levine, and the song is top marks. Can't wait for the new album to come out on 26th June!