I think I can safely say (amongst friends) that Mel Brooks is a comedic genius.
Blazing Saddles, The Producers, Spaceballs and Young Frankenstein. The latter currently being superbly recreated in Redditch right now!
If you’re new to Mel’s creations and in particular, Young Frankenstein, firstly, where have you been?! Secondly, let me update you.
The scientist grandson of recently deceased Victor Frankenstein has no intention of taken over the family
business and creating monsters. He wants to concentrate on his work with brains and lecturing his
students of brilliance of the human mind.
On discovering his grandfather had passed, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen) played by
the very believable and Gene Wilder doppelganger, Ed Mears (Hairspray, The Producers) is forced to fly to
Transylvania leaving his rather self-centred and quite annoying fiancé played by Sophie “the voice” Grogan
(Annie, 42nd Street) to deal with his grandfather’s estate.
Whilst there, he meets the beautiful Inga (played
by the incredible Sophie Hill (Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls) who will be pivotal in Freddie’s future.
As this is a story about Frankenstein’s monster, we can’t ignore the presence of Igor. Igor is, I guess, the
overly supportive and loyal previous servant of Viktor but know serves his grandson and has his back. It
should be recorded that Igo was played perfectly by Jeremy Dobbins (Grease, Kinky Boots) who gives an
excellent performance throughout.
This being musical theatre, the next 120 minutes are filled with eccentric characters, crazy mad-cap adventures and a very large green monster!
There are some wonderful moments that will make you smile, no, belly laugh coupled with some
professional performances that wouldn’t be out of place on the West End. The story ends as you would
expect. Scrap that; no, it doesn’t but you need to watch it find out who gets the girl!
The stage was full if taken including Matt Bridgewater (Legally Blonde, Shrek) as The Monster, Liz Bird
(Sweeney Todd, Anything Goes) as Frau Blucher – the rather sublime housekeeper and former lover of the
late scientist and Jacob Finch (Cats, Kinky Boots) as the village idiot who kept us all entertained
throughout.
This is a well-directed show by Matt Collins with music under the direction of Edd Caine who ensure this
show is slick and entertaining from the overture to curtain fall.
My advice, grab a couple of tickets and
enjoy. You only have till Saturday so be quick!
Young Frankenstein runs till 27th April at the Palace Theatre in Redditch. Tickets available from
redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk.
