Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein has tickled the funny bone of many over the years. It’s no wonder it works so well on stage in this fantastic musical adaptation. The show was packed with energy from all of the cast, right down to the versatile ensemble who played a range of different characters. Each actor brought the silly comedy you expect from a piece like this. The songs were all witty and gave great context for each scene and character.
I cannot begin to express how special this cast was. There was no weak unit at all. Coronation Street’s star Daniel Brocklebank leads the cast as Dr Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Frankensteen) He keeps the memento going from start to finish and sets the tone of each scene.
Jessica Martin is brilliant as Frau Blucher. The scene where she steps on stage to address the audience had the whole room laughing. This was amplified even more so when she had to redo the scene due to a cast injury, temporarily pausing the show whilst the role of Inga was replaced with, I believe it was Jessica Wright instead of Julie Yammanee who had done such a great job up until then. They were all true professionals amongst all the chaos to get right back on form for the last 30 minutes of the show. The cast honestly handled it so well and if anything, brought a bigger energy and response from the audience from then on in.
Pete Gallagher as The Monster uses great physicality, almost playing 2 roles from the first time we see him till the end of the show. His characters attempts at speaking for the first time and singing along to ‘Putting on the Ritz’ was very much so the highlight of the show. It was the scene I was most looking forward to after remembering bits of the movie from watching it years ago. It blended old school musical performances and energy to a finessed comedic ending.
Curtis Patrick as Igor stole the show, I found myself gravitating to him the most. I wanted to see what he’d do next, as he was so present and, in the moment, throughout. He brought a range of different facial expressions, all earning a well-deserved laugh from the audience each time.
I honestly could go on and on about each cast member. It would be sacrilegious to the musical theatre fan in me however not to mention the extraordinary talent of Elizabeth Benning. She gave us the cliche spoiled fiancé at the beginning with a squeaky but beautiful operatic like voice. Without spoiling the end of the show, her change in singing reflects the change in her character as the story progresses. She stunned the audience belting the range of different notes whilst being funny too. What a talent!
Nick Winston did a brilliant job at both directing and doing choreography for this production. It ranged from old school Broadway tap dance routines, to absolute organised chaos for certain scenes, which lends to the overall energy and absurdity of it all. In a good way of course! Winston ensured this parody gave depth and humanity to the piece. A show that can be both mischievous but ultimately give empathy for a monster.
Lorraine Parry as Costume Designer gave the right aesthetic to faithful fans of the movie and making sure it translated on stage too. Fun and dramatic costumes generally all around.
A live orchestra was managed by Francesca Warren who was in charge of being Musical Director/Supervisor and Keys too. The sound of the drums and combination of percussion and string really enveloped the audience, especially towards the end, making it a dramatic finish.
So, whether you’re a fan of the Mel Brooks film or coming in with fresh eyes, this will prove to be a funny night out. I mean who doesn’t want a good laugh? Recommended age is 13 plus as it does have sexual content and innuendo, with comic violence. In all honesty though I can imagine a younger audience enjoying it too, some jokes might just go over their head a bit.
Young Frankenstein runs until Saturday 3rd January at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse with tickets available at https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/young-frankenstein/
Reviewer: Emma Lambe
Reviewed: 4th December 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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