Frankenstein is probably the first and most-known science fiction in the western literature history. Written in the 17th century by Mary Shelley, wife of British famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, Frankenstein has been readapted into films for centuries under the same name. However, it is the first time being adapted and shown on stage.
《科學怪人/弗蘭肯斯坦(Frankenstein)》是西方文學裡的一部科幻小說,也是大家認為是世界上第一部科幻小說,誕生於17 世紀,作者是著名詩人珀西 · 比希 · 雪萊(Percy Bysshe Shelley)的妻子瑪麗 · 雪萊(Mary Shelley)。幾百年來,這本經典的小說已經被翻拍成同名的電影和系列的影片。雖然是這麼一部耳熟能詳的作品,但是把它搬上戲劇的舞台卻是第一次。
The play is directed by the renowned Oscar winner of Best Director Danny Boyle, whose best known films include Trainspotting, 28 Days Latter and Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle is very good at bringing expression of characters’ inner self and makes his films of post-modern style. One thing to be mentioned is Boyle is also the Artistic Director for the 2012 Olympic games opening ceremony.
Frankenstein is about a creature produced by a scientist called Victor Frankenstein in an unorthodox scientific experiment. The creation, which he has hoped would be beautiful, is instead hideous and thus called as ‘the Monster’. The ‘monster’ or the deformed ‘creature’ was born kind at first, he has good hopes and curiosity of the new world, and he also has strong cravings to be loved. However, he is abandoned, disliked and discriminated, so there comes to his vengeance full of hatred.
Frankenstein is shown at the Olivier Theatre inside the National Theatre in London. Olivier Theatre is the largest of the three theatres at the National Theatre, with a capacity of 1200. Its fan-shaped auditorium design is modelled on the ancient Greek’s amphitheatre at Epidaurus, which helps the audience involved in the story easily. The remarkable props like Victorian bells bring the audience back to the era with every strike.
這部舞台劇的指導是曾經獲得奧斯卡最佳導演的丹尼博伊爾 (Danny Boyle), 他的成名作包括《猜火車(Trainspotting) 》、《驚變28天(28 Days Latter)》和《貧民窟的百萬富翁 (Slumdog Millionaire)》,不難發現,博伊爾的作品具有特殊的後現代風格,也非常注重人物內心世界的刻畫。這位偉大的導演同時也成為倫敦2012年奧運會的藝術總監。
《科學怪人》主要講述了一個名叫弗蘭肯斯坦的科學家在實驗室裡創造出了一個新的生命,可惜他醜陋不堪,因此被稱為 “怪物(Monster)”。他出生時懵懂美好,對世界充滿了好奇,渴望愛也需要愛,但卻遭到無情的抛棄、嫌棄和歧視, 他心生仇恨並走上了復仇之路。
這部劇在位於倫敦的泰晤士河南岸的國家劇院(National Theatre)裡的奧利弗劇場(Olivier Theatre)上演,這個劇場是國家劇院裡三個劇場中最大的一個,可容納1200位觀眾。劇場的設計也獨具匠心,它的扇形觀眾席是以希臘的埃皮達魯斯(Epidaurus)圓形劇場為設計原型的,讓觀眾很容易產生強烈的融入感,加上很多絶妙道具的運用,例如維多利亞時代的大鐘,隨著聲聲敲響,觀眾也彷彿跟著走進了那個年代。
Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller play the alternating roles as Dr Frankenstein and his terrifying creature. Although they share the same lines and plots, they use their own performing way to provide different temperament of the characters, which are widely discussed and praised by the audience. During the play there is a 10 minutes naked performance. As Charles Spencer from the Telegraph describes, ‘the opening is a particular triumph as the naked Creature flops on to the floor from the sinister apparatus on which he has been suspended and thrashes around like a big beached fish, writhing, groaning, before learning how to sit up, stand, walk and run. It’s like watching a speeded up version of human evolution’.
This play focuses on the eternal topic of love and hatred. What makes the play different between the readaption and the original novel is the script presented from the perspective of the monster, how he feels about the world, how he craves for love and how he becomes destructive and full of hatred after being abandoned. Meanwhile, there comes the cry from the bottom of his heart: All I ask is the possibility of love!
最令人稱道的要算是科學家和怪物這兩個角色的扮演者本尼迪克特·康伯巴奇 (Benedicte Cumberbatch)和約翰尼 · 李 · 米勒(John Lee Miller)了,他們會輪流飾演科學家與怪物。雖然台詞和劇情相同,但兩個不同的表演者用各自的表演方式賦予了怪物和科學家不同的性情,這成為了觀眾們 津津樂道的話題。在整個表演過程當中,演員更是突破尺度,進行了一段長達10分鐘的全裸表演。這部分沒有任何台詞,全部依靠演員本身的表演功力,將一個新生命初到人間的掙扎、徬徨、天真和對世界的好奇,展現得淋漓盡致。
本劇更是詮釋了一個永恆的話題,愛與仇恨。改編後的劇本和小說原著不同的是,它運用的是怪物的視角去感知這個世界,對愛的極度渴求但最終卻被世界抛棄而產生了憎惡,同時也更能體現內心最深處的吶喊:我所做的一切,都是為了擁有愛的權利! (All I ask is the possibility of love!)