Review: Young Frankenstein at Theatre Works
Review by Greg Gorton
Mel Brooks’ musical “Young Frankenstein” did reach the success that its predecessor (“The Producers”) did. While that first musical single-handedly gave Brooks an EGOT, the second received mostly poor reviews. While I’d agree that it isn’t quite as good, for fans of the movie it is still a lot of fun. Getting to see StageBugs Productions’ over-achieving production of this very funny show has got to be the best way to give Young Frankenstein the chance it deserves.
Using the term “over-achieving” might still not be giving this company the respect it deserves. As someone who regularly attends the big-stage musicals in Melbourne, I’ve seen the best and the worst. StageBugs’ small-stage production of the show was produced far more successfully than many of the multi-million dollar “spectaculars” advertised on the sides of our trains.
The first thing worth mentioning is the incredible set design used in this relatively small blackbox theatre. From the overly complex laboratory to the revolving bookcase, the bringing on and off of the horses and cart… Somewhat like an intricate puzzle box or magic trick, each scene was given a full set treatment, rather than the simpler/lazier “bare bones” approach many companies would offer. These sets were beautiful, evoked the visuals of the film, and were often changed in mere seconds. Damian Jones and Lokan Woerz may very well have mastered the rare skill of bringing extravagance to small stage sets.
This singular element is a perfect example for why the rest of Young Frankenstein works. When asked “how could we make this work on a smaller set”, the company didn’t seem to ever even consider the answer “do less”. They only thought “do better”.
The ensemble dancing, choreographed by Claire Robinson is another great example. Eight incredible performers, often changing costumes at rapid pace, completely filled the stage in a way that could trick you into believing there were dozens of them. The choreography was far from simple, and often relied on exacting timing - something the group pulled off time and again.
Speaking of timing, quickly, we all know its crucial role in making comedy work. The timing between actors during this show, especially when characters react, brought the scenes to life in a way Brooks himself would have been excited for.
All of the actors presented the energy and enthusiasm for the work we needed to enjoy the show, but I do want to single out two performances I believe were particularly impressive. The physical comedy work that Alex Glenk put into his version of Igor went well beyond the script, while delineating himself from Marty Feldman’s iconic portrayal. And while Inga might be a cardboard cutout of a character, Juliet Nicholson’s always-on performance gave me the best laughs when I dared take my eyes off the main action.
There is no point talking of the many flaws of Brooks’ show, including too many low-effort songs, and the easy short-cuts taken in the second half of the story. In some ways, I think StagBugs’ version may have improved on the intended (I cannot say how other versions dealt with the horses, but this one was perfect).
Perhaps my only questions (and they are questions rather than critiques) are if the character of Frankenstein himself is hurt by the portrayal we saw. Is it okay that his attraction to women in this production is completely unbelievable? How much of Gene Wilder’s cynical portrayal was meant to die in this musical? Of course, for most I believe they will be happy that less emphasis is placed on the sexual humour inherent in all of Brooks’ work.
I don’t think “Young Frankenstein” is all that terrible a musical, even if it isn’t “The Producers”. More importantly, StageBugs’ Young Frankenstein might possibly be the best version of that musical that you will get.
