A decade since bringing Oliver Twist to China, TNT Theatre is celebrated here for their stage adaptations of classic works. British royalty rewarded founder Paul Stebbings with an MBE for his cultural efforts, which include establishing a touring circuit from Beijing to Shenzhen. However, they’re breaking the mold with Frankenstein: The Monster and the Myth. Their first original show to be staged in China will travel across eight cities including stops in Beijing (Nov 17-20 & 24), Guangzhou (Nov 27-28), Shenzhen (Nov 29) and Shanghai (Dec 4-6).
“Shakespeare, TNT and China have been a three-way marriage that has been something of a dream for the last decade!” Stebbings says. “But outside of China, we offer a wider repertoire. Bringing Frankenstein is an experiment. We hope that it works so we can broaden the range of productions we bring here.”
Conceived out of a contest to see who could write the best horror story between Romantic-era legends Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori, Frankenstein was published in 1818. Written by 20-year-old Mary Shelley, it’s a pillar in Gothic and horror traditions, as well as a precursor to science fiction.
“I think the myth of Frankenstein is close to us in this digital age. Surely we all feel that technology is out of control and worry about a future where humans may be dominated by our own creations,” Stebbings notes.
"Heart transplants are a normal part of modern life but how will we feel about the first head transplant?”
Rather than simply adapt Shelley’s original, Stebbings and Phil Smith have created their own version. They describe their Frankenstein as “gothic comedy” rooted in the melodramatic tradition that produced Edgar Allan Poe, Dracula and Sherlock Holmes while incorporating laughs, a la Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.
“Gothic comedy has the best of both worlds,” Stebbings explains. “It is funny but dark; stylized but heartfelt; frightening but hilarious.”
Frankenstein features an electronic score by longtime TNT collaborator Paul Flush that Stebbings promises will “heighten the drama.” Sound effects like thunder crashing and the howling of giant dogs complement the music, adding to the show’s cinematic feel.
Veteran TNT actors like Gareth Fordred (Much Ado About Nothing), George McLean (Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew) and Monique Squeri will reprise their roles, with Stebbings noting that “comedy improves with repetition.”
“We know of no other version that attempts to mix the serious scenes in Mary Shelley’s novel with the comedic elements of the Boris Karloff films,” he adds.
“But we also ask some serious questions like what is the moral responsibility of science? ‘What can be done must be done’ is a dangerous statement and one that is questioned in the play. Plus, no one has dared to stage an ending like ours!”
Frankenstein: The Monster and the Myth China Tour
> Beijing: Nov 17-20, 7.30pm, RMB60-380. Chaoyang 9-Theatre, tickets.
> Beijing: Nov 24, 7pm, RMB60-280. Rulun Lecture Hall of Renmin University, tickets.
> Wuhan: Nov 25-26, 7.30pm, RMB60-380. Wuhan Zhongnan Theatre, tickets.
> Guangzhou: Nov 27-28, 7.30pm (with 2.30pm Saturday matinee show), RMB100-320. Xinghai Concert Hall - Chamber Hall, tickets.
> Shenzhen: Nov 29, 8pm, RMB80-300. Shenzhen Children's Palace, tickets.
> Suzhou: Dec 3, 7.30pm, RMB60-280. Suzhou DuShuHu Ying Theatre, tickets.
> Shanghai: Dec 4-6, 7.30pm, RMB80-380. Lyceum Theatre, tickets.
> Hangzhou: Dec 8-9, 7.30pm, RMB80-280. Zhejiang Culture Center Theatre, tickets.
> Nanjing: Dec 10, 7.30pm, RMB60-320. Nanjing Culture and Art Center, tickets.
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