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Arcadia productions is a company of British actors who perform for Italian students. It tours in the north of Italy in the Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto regions. The play "Frankenstein" by Arcadia Productions is a free adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel "Frankenstein".
Arcadia Productions sas Via Vespri Siciliani 16/4 20146 Milano tel. 02 4231459 fax 02 700419101Mary: Mary Shelley, the author of "Frankenstein"
Percy: Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet and husband of Mary
Byron Lord Byron,the great Romantic poet
Victor a young medical student
Igor: a hunchback dwarf, Dr. Frankenstein's assistant
Frau: Frau Blucher, Dr. Frankenstein's housekeeper
Mary's Ghost: the ghost of Mary Shelley
Monster: the creature created by Victor
Girl: a young girl from the town
Actor: an actor from the town theatre
Clown: a clown from a visiting circus troupe
Ballerina: a dancer with the circus who plays the part of a mechanical doll
Bride: a second monster created by Victor as a companion for the monster
The play starts at the end of the eighteenth century. Mary Shelley, her husband Percy Shelley and their friend Lord Byron,are holidaying in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva. Mary and Percy are young and lively-costantly teasing each other and joking. Byron is involved in writing and doesn't want to join in their fun. He is writing a horror story about a vampire. Percy goes a little off the subject and writes a poem instead, but Mary perseveres and writes "Frankenstein".
The time is the present.Victor, a medical student, is lost. He is on holiday in Switzerland, trying to find shelter from a thunder storm. He comes across a gothic-style castle and knocks on the large main door. A small opening high up in the door opens and the ugly face of Igor looks through. He doesn't let the young man in until he overhears him say that his name is Victor,at which he shows him immediately into the castle. We realise that Igor is a dwarf.
Frau Blucher greets Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Victor says that his name is Victor Smith, and he is not yet a doctor, only a student.Frau Blucher is angry with Igor for having mistaken him for the great Dr.Frankenstein, but looking at Victor she decides that he can act as a substitute and create the monster. She orders Victor to get out of his wet clothes and gives him the eighteenth century clothes of Dr.Frankenstein to wear.
Victor thinks they must be mad, but Frau Blucher assures him it is all true, and to prove it produces Dr.Frankenstein's Journal, the record of all experiments. Victor starts to read the journal and gets more and more enthusiastic saying that he is sure that he too can create life. Frau Blucher says that Frankenstein's laboratory is exactly as he left it. To get the necessary body parts Igor takes Victor to the cemetery.
At the beginning of the scene Victor doesn't realise where he has been taken; it is dark and there is a little fog. He tells Igor the things he needs: noses, eyes and so on, and Igor (the comedian of the situation ) goes into the tombs -and the audience!- to get what is required. When Victor sees a tomb with R.I.P. engraved on it , he is horrified. Faru Blucher arrives and tells Igor off for bringing Victor to the cemetery. She tells Victor not to worry as she will find all the " bits" he needs to make the monster. He thanks her and goes back to the castle. As soon as he has gone Frau Blucher and Igor laugh demonically and continue to take body parts from the graves.
Victor is working on creating the Monster. Each time that Victor stops, exhausted, Frau Blucher insists that he must continue, that he will go down in history for what he is doing and will be remembered for is work . Victor wants to be remembered with affection, but Frau Blucher says that the important thing is to be remembered and that it is not important how: in that way become immortal.
Victor finishes putting the Monster together. The ghost of Mary Shelley appears and tells him that he must stop, that no man should create another man. He argues that it is his destiny, and Mary replies that we are free to choose our actions . Frau Blucher forces Mary offstage and tells Victor to complete his work.
Victor takes two heavy electric cables and attaches them to the Monster's chest. The energy from the lightning storm travels down the cables, but fails to give life to the Monster. Victor -tired and disillusioned- throws Frankenstein's journal to the ground, but slowly, behind him, the Monster begins to move and comes up behind him.The Monster reaches out a hand to Victor,but Victor is terrified and touches the hand with the cables. The Monster cries out in pain and takes Victor by the neck. Mary enters again playing a violin and the music tranquillises the Monster who goes.
Mary tells Victor that he must find the Monster and educate him. He brought him into the world and now has the responsability to prepare him for society.She tells Victor that he must conquer his fear of the Monster and look further than the physical aspect. There is a woman's scream from the distance, and Mary tells Victor to hurry after the Monster, before it's too late.
Outside the small town, not far from the castle, A little girl plays by the well and plays on her flute.The Monster is enchanted by the beauty of the music, and then by her innocent acceptance of him,and the beauty of the music.She asks him to be her friend.
An actor is rehearsing a speech from Hamlet. The Monster arrives with his new friend, the little girl, who is the daughter of the actor. The actor is grateful that the Monster brought his daughter home, and asks if he has ever thought of going on the stage. The Monster's grunts and moans are taken by the actor to be "yes" or "no". Eventually the actor has the Monster pronouncing his first words.
Two Clowns-the magician and the ballerina- are preparing for their show in the town square. They argue a lot and the clown treats the ballerina badly. For their show, she pretends to be a wooden doll who comes to life by the magical powers of the clown. The Monster is in the crowd and watches intrigued seeing them play out his story: the clown attaches two wires to the ballerina to make her "come alive". She too moves rigidly like he does. He starts to dance with her. The clown is irritated at the interruptin and detaches the wires that gives "life" to the ballerina, but the ballerina ignores the clown and continues to dance with the Monster: their movements become more and more fluid.
Victor is distressed because he has been unable to find the Monster. The Monster instead finds Victor, and comes up behind him. Victor asks for his forgiveness. He asks who taught the Monster to speak and he replies that he found friends who helped him. Victor replies that they have done his work, that he should have taught the Monster, and that he was lucky to find good friends. He tells the Monster he has becomke a Man.
Victor has made a second creature, a "Bride".The Monster is happy, saying that now he may learn about love too.Victor tells them that in the future they can rely on him, and they leave.
Mary arrives and gives Victor a copy of her book "Frankenstein". He reads the last pages which finish tragically. Mary reminds him that he was lucky that everything went well because not all stories finish happily. As Victor leaves her, she turns into the real Mary that we saw at the beginning.
Back in the eighteenth century, Percy has been looking for Mary. She tells him that she has been on the mountain all along, but she's been thinking whether to give her Frankenstein story a sad or happy ending. Percy tells her not to worry about such things until they return to London, on holiday they should be happy. Byron arrives and finally joins them in their fun and games.