AN atmospheric trip into the mind of Mary Shelley tours the country this month.
The Monster and Mary Shelley was originally produced by Glasgow-based theatre company, The Occasion in 2018, for the 200th anniversary of the original publication of Frankenstein.
After opening at the city’s Tron Theatre, the play went on to tour Scotland for three weeks, gathering acclaim for Stewart Ennis’s “captivating script” and the “tour de force performance” of Catherine Gillard, who plays the gifted author.
Two centuries after Shelley wrote her Gothic masterpiece aged just 18, Frankenstein, though very much a product of the early industrial age, continues to fascinate and reveal its depths.
Following last month’s debut run of Rona Munro’s sparky adaptation of Frankenstein for Perth Theatre which saw Glasgow actress Eilidh Loan star as Shelley herself, The Monster and Mary Shelley returns to Scottish stages before heading to six towns south of the Border with support from Arts Council England.
Peter Clerke, who directs the moving mix of music hall, melodrama, horror, says his company are excited to return to the road.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to re-tour this hugely enjoyable show, both to more venues across Scotland and, with the support from ACE, to break new ground in England,” he says.
“Never far from controversy, Shelley, throughout her lifetime, was at the forefront of social change in a turbulent world. Her exploration of fear, in the form of Frankenstein’s Monster, spawned a whole genre of fiction and continues to hold a massive relevance in the present day.”
October 19, Eden Court, Inverness. Tel: 01463 234 234. www.eden-court.co.uk; Oct 20, Haddo House, Methlick. Tel: 0131 458 0200. www.cloudvenue.co.uk; Oct 23, Theatre Royal Dumfries. Tel: 01387 254209. www.theatreroyaldumfries.co.uk; Oct 24, Paisley Arts Centre. Tel: 0300 300 1210. www.renfrewshireboxoffice.ticketsolve.com; Oct 25, Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 623 3030. www.assemblyroxy.com
www.theoccasiontheatre.com. Photograph: Marc Marnie
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