ED2019 4/5 Reviews ED2019 Theatre Reviews

Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein (Underbelly and Manual Cinema)

By | Published on Saturday 17 August 2019

I wasn’t sure where to look during this impressive, technically complex performance. A combination of live performance, puppetry and shadow-puppets (innovatively projected through upcycled OHPs) is used to present the tale of Frankenstein, with a prologue and coda featuring Mary Shelley, as a pseudo-silent movie. Just as with live radio plays, where lots of fun is to be had watching the antics of the foley artists, here your attention is torn between watching the tale unfold on the big screen, and the immensely talented performers putting it together, live, underneath. They deftly manipulate puppets, layering projections and live performance, moving balletically amongst a tangle of equipment and musical instruments. The live soundscape is eerie and effective, enhancing the mood dramatically. 

Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andy Leask]

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