It Dances! It Dances!

The world premiere of a new full-length ballet, inspired by Mary Shelley’s Gothic masterpiece.

Not since the hilarious “Puttin’ On The Ritz” scene from Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” has the creature of Mary Shelley’s imagination been so light on his toes. For the month of May 2016, London’s Royal Ballet will be putting the story of the mistreated and misunderstood monster and his science “father” creator from the classic “Frankenstein: or the New Prometheus” on the stage, from choreographer Liam Scarlett.

According to Scarlett, it was a chance to put his own interpretation and the story that has long been the stuff of imagination and discussion, enthralling and sometimes baffle its readers and audiences. In Scarlett’s version which, he thought would get to more of the heart of the story, “It’s not about the horror of creating life from dead matter. It’s about is love, yearning, and abandonment.”

The main characters in the ballet are Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who creates the monster, his fiancée Elizabeth, and the creature who seeks vengeance when he is mistreated and cast aside, like an unwanted child, as well as the family members surrounding them affected when Frankenstein’s creation turns against them. He wanted to get to the emotion of the story which is more a tragedy of unrequited love than of science gone awry.

The creature and his creator are no strangers to theater. The first adaptation Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for the stage was as early as five years story after the first publishing of the work. The most famous movie version with Boris Karloff was adapted from a stage version by Peggy Webling and John L. Balderson,  and the Gothic Romantic story has made recent appearances on the stage in London, like Danny Boyle’s version at the National Theater with Benedict Cumberbatch which was filmed shown in National Theater broadcasts as cinema theaters and schools. A balletic interpretation seems timely in advance of the 200 anniversaries approaching.

The composer of the ballet is Lowell Liebermann who had worked previously with Liam Mr. Scarlett as a choreographer on two piano concertos and his other piano work “Gargoyles.”

The Frankenstein at the Royal Ballet Premiers at the London Royal Opera House Main Stage from May 4 to May 27, 2016.