NT Live At Home: Frankenstein

National Theatre decided to give theatre-goers a real treat this week, as two versions of their 2011 Frankenstein production were available on YouTube. The play, written by Nick Dear, is creature-centric and was adapted directly from Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. Director Danny Boyle brought the play to life in two versions, as Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch alternated their roles of Victor and Creature.

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Both Miller and Cumberbatch brought something different to each role and revealed aspects about each character that the other had not. Cumberbatch's depiction of the Creature was animalistic, exaggerated and had an unnerving confidence that grew as the production continued. By contrast, Miller's Creature was more human, playing more on human toddler traits than animal. As a result, Miller's development from innocent and frustrated into vengeful and powerful was much more sneaky, as the empathy that Elizabeth feels when she meets him is shared by the audience.

Equally, each actor brought a different interpretation to Victor. Miller's Dr Frankenstein was angry, frustrated, irritated by his own actions and generally filled with unease. He was clearly tormented by his actions and his remorse seemed genuine. However, when watching Cumberbatch's Victor, moments of theatricality and even humour were brought out in a way that I had not noticed during Miller's performance as Victor. Cumberbatch presented a man who was proud, eccentric, arrogant, and absolutely invested in science. The prospect of doing God's work was, to him, a fantastic experiment that would fuel his ego at whatever cost. Yet, surprisingly, he was not unlikable as a character.

Watching these two performances together reveals how complex these two characters are, each filled with emotion, passion, and conflicting identities that clash when they collide. Both Victor and Creature are just wanting to find their respective place in the world, but both are overcome by internal and external forces that are beyond their control.

Naomi Harris as Elizabeth and Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature
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The supporting cast were excellent, and Naomi Harris' Elizabeth was the perfect balance of purity and sass, livening up a character who can easily become two-dimensional. She was trapped in a world where women must sit and obey their husbands and was willing to do so up to a point, as long as Victor would marry her and give her the relationship that she desired. But the man travelled so much that her restrictions as a woman were exposed, as she can do nothing but wait for his return for as long as he wishes her to. Science, he tells her, is no place for a woman, for she cannot access the level of education that is required. As her hopes are finally coming true, her wedding night with Victor will surely break audiences hearts everywhere. It is painful enough in the original text, but this production's added violence made her death all the more unnecessary and sorrowful.


It is impossible to write about this production without acknowledging the wonderful set. Light bulbs hung from the ceiling and flashed, replicating the 'spark' that gives the Creature life and providing atmospheric lighting throughout the show. The stage itself had an inner section which could spin around, flip, sink or rise according to what scene needed to be portrayed, allowing transitions to be smooth and seamless. For me, the creative team showcased their amazing talents when the creature watches the sunrise, with grass growing on the stage, rain falling from the sky, and birds flying next to the rising sun. In other scenes, we were transported to the Frankenstein household, the top of a mountain, and up to the northern isles of Scotland.

For cast, crew, and everyone involved, this production of Frankenstein was a triumph and is sure to go down in history. It deviates from the original story just enough to bring something new, but remains close enough to the original characters that it feels like an authentic adaptation of the original book. The humanity in the Creature, the moral questioning of Victor's actions, and the societal issues of the Victorian period were all brought to the forefront creatively and in a way that was visually stunning. Shelley would most definitely approve.