ED2019 3/5 Reviews ED2019 Theatre Reviews

Genesis: The Mary Shelley Play (Artists Collective Theatre – Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

By | Published on Sunday 18 August 2019

This UK premiere depicts how Mary Shelley came to write ‘Frankenstein’, being set in Geneva in the early 19th century, where the writer and her lover Percy Shelley are on holiday with their friends Lord Byron, his partner Claire and Doctor Polidori. Inclement weather arrives, forcing them all to stick to their rented apartment, and find an indoor diversion: they attempt to overcome their boredom by coming up with horror stories, though of course nobody expects a woman to create the the best one. The script is remarkably slow (and could be improved by focusing more on how women were belittled in this era) but is aided by precise acting and a vividly painted setting. It just all leads to a tame conclusion, however.

C cubed, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Kieran Scott]

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