MARK BRUCE COMPANY
present their long-awaited, thrilling dance theatre version of
Mary Shelley’s
‘FRANKENSTEIN’
on film at
Southsea Community Cinema & Arts Centre
19 & 20 October 2024 7pm
Press Enquiries: juliette@markbrucecomapny.com
The critically acclaimed, award-winning MARK BRUCE COMPANY made a welcome return to the stage in 2024 with a brand new production that toured the UK. This production is now available on film and is coming to Southsea.
‘FRANKENSTEIN’ is choreographed and directed by Mark Bruce; a juicy cast includes Jonathan Goddard as The Monster, Eleanor Duval as Prometheus, Cordelia Braithwaite as Bride of the Monster, Carina Howard as Narcissus, Dominic Rocca as Doctor Frankenstein and Anna Daly as Elizabeth.
In Mark Bruce’s surreal adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel, alchemy and science collide as Dr Frankenstein, goaded by an otherworldly entity, unlocks the secrets of the creation of life. Jonathan Goddard plays the role of Frankenstein’s tragic monster, sewn together from the shreds of humanity, rejected and wandering in a timeless landscape, beautifully portrayed in this profound and deeply moving production. The eclectic music score is by Chopin, Penderecki and Arvo Pärt.
With a unique choreographic language, distinctive imagery and a wide ranging musical knowledge, Mark Bruce creates work which is drawn from a wide spectrum of influences. His canon is famous for its potent cinematic quality and his cast of dancers are always extraordinary. The company’s world-class design team create mythical worlds of mystic, absorbing quality on productions including Dracula, The Odyssey, Macbeth, Phantoms; ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ will see a clash of real and imagined worlds which will have the power to draw in audiences and to blur the lines between what is real and what is imagined.
Running time:
‘Frankenstein’ 60 minutes
Dancers:
Cordelia Braithwaite, Eleanor Duval, Jonathan Goddard, Carina Howard, Dominic Rocca, Anna Daly
Writer/Choreographer/Director · Mark Bruce | Costume Design · Dorothee Brodrück
Lighting Design · Guy Hoare | Set Design · Phil Eddolls
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England
Commissioned by DanceEast
Mark Bruce: “I have been asked on many occasions whether I would do an adaptation of Frankenstein and, taking time out from another project, I thought I’d reread Frankenstein, clear my mind of all other interpretations and attempt a fresh visualisation of the story.
I quickly realised that the path to an adaptation was clear and full of elements that would work well for interpretation through dance theatre. I identified and edited out what had got in the way of tackling it before, particularly preconceptions and elements of the narrative. The horror of Frankenstein is subtle, unsettling, I don’t see it as a horror story. It is more akin to a classic tragedy; philosophical and full of pathos.
“In my interpretation Victor Frankenstein’s obsessive quest to capture the fire of life causes him to live partly in the real world and partly in the other world where he has visitations from entities such as Prometheus. I have attempted to visualise his perception – placing the viewer into his mind. I have set the production on a plain where what is real and what is not becomes a primary question. I have set the scenes in the two worlds that the monster and his creator exist in, with interaction between human characters drawn into tragic consequences, and immortal entities.”
https://www.markbrucecompany.com/frankenstein
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Additional free film screening : |
BORIS KARLOFF NIGHT (PG)5pM
We happy to host a special night to introduce you Karloff’s Frankenstein is not only the first creation story to use scientific experimentation as its method, but it also presents a framework for narratively examining the morality and ethics of the experiment and experimenter.