EDINBURGH 2019: MANUAL CINEMA'S FRANKENSTEIN Q&A
BWW catches up with Manual Cinema to chat about bringing Manual Cinema's Frankenstein to the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Tell us a bit about Manual Cinema's Frankenstein.
Manual Cinema's Frankenstein is an original movie created live onstage in front of the audience with live musicians, music playing robots, a mad science lab of percussion instruments, 5 puppeteer/actors, 2 cameras, and over 500 handmade puppets. Our show not only adapts Frankenstein but also digs into Mary Shelley's biography with an all female acting/puppetry cast. Motherhood, loss, and ambition weave through this supernatural tale of abandonment and creation. This is a brand new rewrite of the show, and I am so excited to premier this new version at the Fringe!
How do you tell the story?
Mary Shelley's story (based on her essay introducing the 1832 edition of the novel) is told in shadow puppetry with hand painted backgrounds. Victor Frankenstein's story is told in black and white silent film-style, over-the-top live video. And the Creature's story is the heart of the show, and it is told in both styles and also through live video made by shooting small tabletop puppets with a handheld camera (I play Mary Shelley and do the camera work). Throughout all of this an amazing chamber ensemble is playing dozens of instruments including a giant percussion rack. They are accompanied by robots with mallets that play a variety of percussion.
Why bring it to Edinburgh?
Our show is utterly unique and has no spoken language (only a few title cards in English), so it is great for an international audience. The story is an emotional roller coaster of creation and abandonment that will resonate with anyone who has ever tried to make something or anyone who has sought connection to another human being.
Why is Frankenstein the perfect story for this format?
As a puppeteer, I spend much of my time trying to make lifeless matter appear to be alive! So Frankenstein felt like a natural fit for a puppet show. Also, Manual Cinema makes shows that are live movies, and Frankenstein has a rich cinematic history. Frankenstein is has been adapted in nearly every era of cinema, and it was made into an early silent film by Edison Studios in 1910! Also, Mary Shelley herself has often been overlooked. She first published the 1818 edition anonymously. When she published the second edition in 1832 she included an introduction that fought for authorship against the notion that her husband or Bryon actually wrote the book. I am so excited that our show re-centers Mary Shelley and adapts her story with an all female puppetry cast.
Who do you think should come to see it?
Everyone!!!
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/manual-cinema-s-frankenstein
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