While we wait for the world to calm down so James Wan can start production on his new take on the classic Universal Monster, “Frankenstein“, we can at least take solace in knowing that we don’t have to wait that long to see at least one adaptation of Mary Shelley‘s classic tale. In 2011, Oscar-winner Danny Boyle (“28 Days Later”) directed a stage adaptation starring both Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein and his Creature, and now the whole thing will stream on YouTube for free!
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National Theater at Home is a new initiative launched in late March as a response to the current pandemic that forced closures of theaters and cinemas worldwide. The idea is to stream a new stage play that will be available for one week, and next week is Frankenstein’s turn!
Danny Boyle’s adaptation, written by Nick Dear, saw Cumberbatch and Lee Miller alternating the roles of Frankenstein and his Creature every night. Luckily audiences will be able to see both actors in each role, as National Theater at Home will stream both versions on consecutive evenings next week (Cumberbatch as the Creature on April 30, and Lee Miller as the Creature on May 1). Speaking of the production, Boyle said “Frankenstein is creating life without women. The idea is to bring two actors as close to that notion as possible. And how do you do that? In terms of the performance, Frankenstein and the Creature literally create each other: every other night they reinhabit each other.”
This is National Theater at Home’s description of the adaptation:
“Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered Creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Urgent concerns of scientific responsibility, parental neglect, cognitive development and the nature of good and evil are embedded within this thrilling and deeply disturbing classic gothic tale.”
You can watch a trailer for “Frankenstein” below: