Young Frankenstein

A display of great talent, creativity and fun was brought to life by Pantheon.  Right from the beginning this show was off to a rip-roaring start with Frederick Frankenstein leading us through his rendition of ‘The Brain’- funny, witty, wordy, and fast paced. The story took off with great gusto, and I might also say, never halted until the end when the cast who had worked extremely hard left the stage. 

The theatrical style on display in this production was evident from the beginning. The creative use of a simple, and in the words of director and choreographer Chris JS Wilson, ‘minimalist design’ was extremely effective and well thought out. There was excellent use of the available performing space, both on and off the stage and with a cast of fifteen everyone played their part in ensuring the scene changes ran smoothly.   In the role of Dr Frederick Frankenstein, Neil Simpson showed strength in his vocal and acting ability in equal measure. Inga, played by Reece Cavanagh had no inhibition in portraying her frivolous role full of innuendo, but at the same time was always well in control. The comic timing of Igor, Fraser Shand was excellent and Erin Duffy playing Elizabeth portrayed her role with excellent style and vocals. Added to the mix was the excellent comic timing, acting and facial expressions of Frau Blucher played by Patricia Welch. David Robertson as the monster kept us on the edge of our seats as he came to life and the variation in his vocal sounds were easy to interpret and understand as his role developed, and he brought real character to the stage in Puttin’ On The Ritz. Kris Morrison as Inspector Hans Kemp was funny and the cast who played various featured roles allowed their talents to shine. The band and entire cast singing under the direction of Andy McDonald was well balanced. This was an excellent performance of a very funny show. As noted in the programme “Mel Brookes likes to teeter on the line. Some content of the show may teeter on the wrong side for some but please be aware there is no intention to offend”. It is very fair to say that this is exactly what we witnessed in the theatre, a well-executed performance that was funny and well-acted and did not offend as we were fully exposed to the story of Young Frankenstein. Well done!

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