Danny Boyle's Frankenstein

Tonight we went to see Danny Boyle's stage version of Frankenstein being screened at a movie theater. It did lack a little of the impact you know would have been present seeing it live, but the production was really impressive. The two main actors, Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch, would trade roles each night. So one would play Victor Frankenstein and one would play The Monster, then switch for the next performance. In the showing we went to Johnny Lee Miller played The Monster. His take was really intriging. The character throws the viewer back and forth over and over again; feeling deep sympathy for him followed back deep disgust. He said he based a lot of the physical performance on his 2 year old daughter. There is a wonderful progression with him, learning to walk, run, and talk. You can certainly see the child show through, as well as touches of stroke victims, and Autistic mannerisms. I was affected to be sure. I am a great fan of all things Frankenstein and this was a great addition to the mythos. I hope they release this on DVD at some point. We have become followers of Benedict Cumberbatch after watching the new Sherlock series on BBC. He was very respectable as the doctor, but that character doesn't quite get the same chance to shine. I would love to see his take on The Monster to compare and contrast the actors. Here is a trailer for the play-