[On Stage] True to Its Name ‘Frankenstein’... The Return of the Monster Musical

In 1816, at a villa in Switzerland, travelers stranded by a sudden storm and cold gathered together. This was due to the eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia a year earlier, which released an enormous amount of dust and ash that absorbed sunlight and lowered temperatures on Earth. To pass the dull time, the travelers decided to share scary stories. At this moment, Mary Godwin, then 19 years old, recounted a story about a terrifying creature she saw in a nightmare and its creator consumed by fear. This story became the well-known novel Frankenstein. Mary Godwin anonymously published the novel in 1818, two years after the trip, gaining significant attention.

The plot is as follows. In 19th-century Europe, during the Napoleonic Wars, Victor Frankenstein, a scientist from Geneva, Switzerland, who was conducting research on immortal soldiers, meets Henri Dupre, a master of body grafting, on the battlefield and they become friends. They conduct research together, but soon their laboratory is shut down due to the end of the war. However, they do not give up and return to Frankenstein Castle in Geneva to continue their research, eventually creating a monster. Unexpectedly, the monster disappears and then suddenly reappears, causing great catastrophe.

The musical Frankenstein adapts the original story. A major difference is that the monster is created using Henri’s corpse. The grotesque image of the monster with screws in its head, originating from the 1931 film Frankenstein, is also distinct. In the musical, the monster is depicted as very similar to a human, with only visible graft scars on its neck. The monster’s name is often mistakenly given as “Frankenstein,” but in fact, the monster has no name. The name belongs to the man who created it, Victor Frankenstein, and this has been misattributed to the monster. The process in which the monster resents Victor for not even giving it a name and enacts bloody revenge is gripping. Special effects and powerful sound amplify the sense of horror.

It is also entertaining to watch the actors perform dual roles. Victor Frankenstein (played by Min Woo-hyuk, Jeon Dong-seok, and Kyuhyun) also plays Jacques, the ruthless and greedy owner of a fighting arena. Since the premiere in 2014, the character has become richer in wit and humor, and Jacques’ lively personality brings laughter. Ellen (Seo Ji-young, Kim Ji-woo), Victor’s pure and delicate sister, also plays Eva, Jacques’ wife, revealing a duality with decadent sexiness. Igor (Kim Dae-jong, Lee Jung-soo), Jacques’ servant, provides comic relief as Victor’s butler.

The Korean original musical Frankenstein is now in its fourth season this year. While maintaining the color of director Wang Yong-beom’s work, music director Lee Sung-jun’s arrangements add fresh immersion to the production.

“Believe in God fiercely, but not through blessings, rather through curses. If there were no God, who could have made this world such a hell?” “Proud creator, I will return to you the world and misfortunes I have endured.” The Arctic scene where the monster and Victor confront each other is the climax of the play. The monster’s final revenge on Victor is loneliness. Victor’s lonely echo, left alone, touches the audience’s hearts. The resonance continues until the 20th of next month at Seoul Blue Square Shinhan Card Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.