Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Frankenstein and Benedict Cumberbatch

Way back in 2011, there was a theatre event in London that I wish I could have seen.

The National Theatre presented a play called Frankenstein. On alternate nights, Benedict Cumberbatch (the star of Sherlock on British TV) and Jonny Lee Miller (the star of Eleementary on American TV) played Victor Frankenstein and the Creature alternately. (The review does refer to him as a Monster, but in actuality he was a creature, turned into a monster by the neglect of his creator/parent.)

Frankenstein review at the Guardian

 Apparently both performances were filmed, but they are only available in the UK!  Perhaps with Cumberbatch's sky-rocketing stardom, it will now be made available to American audiences.

What intrigues me about this play is the fact that the two actors alternated the roles on alternate nights. I would have loved to see the different emotions and physicalities that the two men brought to the part.

It's easy to imagine Johnny Lee Miller being afraid of Cumberbatch's Frankenstein - Cumberbatch is several inches taller. Less so to think of Cumberbatch being afraid of Miller except for the awful look of the creature and also the sheer strength the creature possesses.

Jonny Lee Miller as the Craeture
The above is a series of gifs put up by

teflonly.tumblr.com


There are several more there so check them out.

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