This production of the Frankenstein story took an original view, as Mary Shelley [Elysia Sully], the author, took us through the creative process as she wrote the eponymous novel.Elysia, who was on stage for the whole play, was word perfect in her first lead role. She conveyed superbly Mary’s writer’s block, her dilemmas and frustrations, sometimes with humorous asides, as she gave numerous soliloquies to the fourth wall, giving narrative to the action on stage.

Kathy Underhill-Buckingham, in an excellent directorial debut, cleverly moved Mary in and around the characters in her novel as they acted out the novel’s plot and dialogue.Adam Turner gave a masterful performance as Frankenstein, portraying his obsession with science, particularly delving into the very nature of life and death, even at the cost of neglecting his family. In Elysia and Adam, The Talisman has two wonderful young actors who can take leading roles with confidence and conviction.

Elysia depicted Mary’s delight in developing her horror story and shocking her readers but the characters developed a mind of their own. Jack Ives gave the Monster that Frankenstein had created a pathos, torn between rage and the desire for revenge, and the desire for love.

All the cast played their parts well. Particularly noteworthy was Nicky Cheung who convincingly played a blind peasant whose family had been driven out of their village by persecution, mirroring the rejection The Monster had experienced.

placeholder image — Elysia Sully and Adam Turner

The second act was too wordy after the interval and the pace slowed. However Adam showed clearly Frankenstein’s anguish at his dilemma at having created life but tormented by the guilt at the distress he had caused by his singlemindedness. Elysia was able to powerfully conclude Mary’s novel with the moral warning of care for the weak and the consequences of revenge.

The sound and lighting were top quality thanks to designers Steve Roberts and Dik Thacker, respectively.This was another blue riband performance at The Talisman and deserves full houses to appreciate the quality of the production.