OCNews

The Red Dot Players are proud to present Frankenstein by Nick Dear, a skillful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. The performances run March 12-14 at the Okanagan College (OC) Theatre in Kelowna, marking the theatre group’s fifteenth anniversary season.

The production features seven Okanagan College (OC) students and includes OC alumni and employees, while the show’s poster was designed by Levi Bolstridge, a second-year Writing and Publishing student at OC. 

Dear’s adaptation is a gripping exploration of obsession, revenge and the nature of love. Rejected by society, the Creature (Graham Daley)—a grotesque monster assembled from the body parts of corpses—comes to an arrangement with the man who created and then abandoned him: Victor Frankenstein (Matt Gunn). The two strike a bargain: If Frankenstein builds a companion for the Creature, the two of them will disappear into the wilds of Argentina and never trouble Frankenstein or his family again. However, when the scientist breaks his promise, the Creature is consumed with rage and dedicates himself to destroying Frankenstein and all he holds dear.

“Frankenstein may be over two hundred years old, but the novel is incredibly relevant to our modern world of artificial intelligence and genetic engineering,” said Jeremy Beaulne, director. “I am very excited to bring Nick Dear’s beautiful adaptation of Shelley’s book to life with such a creative and talented cast and crew.”

Beaulne, an English faculty member at OC and the artistic director of the Red Dot Players, has directed many productions for the Red Dot Players during the past fifteen years, including Neverwhere, Murder on the Orient Express, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Blithe Spirit, The Government Inspector and Les Belles‑Soeurs. 

The original production of Nick Dear’s Frankenstein was staged in 2011 at the Olivier Theatre in London, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire). The production starred Benedit Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, who alternated roles each night between Frankenstein and the Creature.

Performance schedule

• Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m

All performances will take place at the Okanagan College Theatre in Kelowna. Tickets are available at reddotplayers.com and will also be available at the door. Door sales are cash only. Frankenstein is recommended for mature audiences.