James Whale: Beyond Frankenstein – Zoo Southside

James Whale is remembered today – if he is remembered at all in the mainstream – as the director of the two best classic Universal Frankenstein films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935), as well as The Invisible Man (1933) and, if we’re feeling really fancy, The Old Dark House (1933). However, these were only part of a much longer career, one which saw a small-town English boy become a major Hollywood director in a time in which his homosexuality was illegal and his themes increasingly scrutinised under the Hayes Code.

Written and performed by Tim Larkfield, this one-man show eschews the straightforward approach of having Whale be that one man, telling his own life story, in favour of a series of snapshots from the perspectives of a collection of professional and personal connections from his life. Whale becomes an interviewee, scene partner or unseen subject as Larkfield jumps from partners, to film technicians to family members in quick succession.

It’s an ambitious approach, but one that succeeds. What the play loses in terms of a deep connection to Whale it makes up for with a quick, filmic pace, with Larkfield’s versatile performance, sound and lighting and a single chair (and, of course, a clear script) providing us with all the necessary context for each sequence, and even some lovingly recreated performances from the films.

It’s a tough needle to thread, especially with a show selling itself on the premise of getting you in to discover more about a name you recognise, but Larkfield holds it all together, providing an always entertaining and educational hour that manages to cover most of the facets of the man in under an hour with humour, horror and sympathy for his life, death and work. As more than a dramatised character lecture, this should offer something to both the curious and the informed on this legendary horror (amongst other things) film-maker.

James Whale: Beyond Frankenstein is running at Zoo Southside Studio until August 25th (except 19th). Tickets can be found at: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/james-whale-beyond-frankenstein

Reviewer: Oliver Giggins

Reviewed: 15th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: