Monsters, men, love, and lust

Engrossing and chilling

to be broadcast on BBC4 next Sunday 25 October

although the required parts of the play were present, it ultimately felt roughly put together.

Mary Shelley's timeless novel with the use of shadow puppetry, projections and live music

Only last week I was writing “how adults can instil a sense of adventure into children”. Those words rung even more true tonight as a packed audience watched in pure delight this group of youths perform; a group so clearly inspired by people such as Conrad Murray, one of the men behind BAC Beatbox Academy, the makers and performers of Frankenstein. Conrad acted like the proud father as he introduced not just the show but other members of the academy, ...

Pros: An original play with a largely female cast. Good use of props and set pieces to create the multiple locations of the play as well as nice use of puppetry. Cons: The issue of feminism wasn’t really explored despite the gender swap of the lead characters. It felt like the script could have done with an edit to make it more succinct as was a little meandering in places. Burn-Bright’s production of Frankenstein replaces the male scientist from Mary ...

Pros: An atmospheric venue Cons: Overly long and complicated I wanted to love this show. An immersive, feminist interpretation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, set in a 15th century Tudor House and former squat in Hackney? Sounds awesome. Unfortunately, Tea Break Theatre have set themselves a challenging brief, and don’t manage to live up to the enticing premise. The venue, Sutton House on Homerton High Street, is fascinating. Original Tudor oak panels share wall space with anarchist murals painted by activists who ...

A quirky interpretation of a classic, with curiously comedic nuances and gory details aplenty.

Pros: A multi-layered concept, deftly handled by Morpurgo, who has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Cons: Audience participation elements might deter some theatregoers. Also, the Soho Theatre’s side-view seating makes it easy to miss some of the jokes. Have you ever sat through a highbrow 9-hour vanity project based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, followed by a post-show Q&A? Nope, neither have I, but Joseph Morpurgo’s Hammerhead takes that concept and runs with it, imagining a ...