OBSERVER: Young Frankenstein
Ribald, rude, raunchy and ridiculous. The delightful nonsense that Mel Brooks imagined in his stage version of Young Frankenstein is brought to life by StageBugs Productions on the Theatre Works stage.
The attention to detail in all aspects of this production would suggest it should be staged in a major theatre.
The choreography (Claire Robinson) was precise with inventive touches constantly adding dimension.
The lighting (Jason Bovaird) moved the eye to complement the action. The music (Geoffrey Scarlett) was clear and precise.
Kudos to the ensemble who had clearly worked closely together to make all these elements coalesce.
They had obviously rehearsed assiduously. And the cast were also responsible for moving the set trucks (Damian Jones) which were contained but eminently suitable for the occasion.
The story line, for those who have not seen the film, has Frankenstein’s grandson, Frederick (Josh Direen), inheriting the castle and equipment used by his namesake.
Circumstances mean he, too, creates a monster (Joti Van Carlos Gore).
But the musical is an excuse for nonsense on an unparalleled level. Mary Shelley never envisaged a tap-dancing sequence in her original novel, but Mel Brooks did. Don’t ask me how. He was a comic genius.
Director Christian Cavallo has given his cast licence to bring the characters to life – pun intended.
The excesses are there in every leg stretch, facial expression and sibilant whistling to capture the innuendo, nonsense, suggestiveness or, simply, the ridiculousness intended by Brooks.
This production is fun, which is Brooks’ mantra. It harks back to the days of vaudeville sending up the tropes associated with musicals by exploding the form with energetic overindulgence.
The audience were also more than willing to contribute, carried away by the sheer exuberance.
The return season, for surely there must be one under consideration, deserves a professionally equipped theatre to maximise the potential. To quote Frankenstein – “It’s alive.”
Review by David McLean