National Theatre Live

I wonder to the people out there who possibly read my blog, how well you know me from my blog posts. It's an interesting question to pose. As a child I used to love going to the theatre both with school and with the family. I love the RSC and I remember once seeing Romeo and Juliet there with my school, and being utterly captivated. Although when Lord Capulet took a fall, we all thought it was part of the stage production, but turned out it was not, so when he was next on stage sporting a cane it did come as quite a shock. Unfortunately I have been to the theatre for a while probably about 2 years now and I miss it so much. I am desperate to see a production of Hamlet or Othello, both being plays that I love, but never had the fortune of seeing. However apparently Benedict Cumberbatch said he'd love to play Hamlet, so I must keep my eyes and ears out for that, it would be an incredible feat. I digress as usual. Actually Benedict Cumberbatch isn't entirely off topic, being a huge fan, I like to keep up to date with his goings on, not in a stalky, creepy way just in an interested fellow citizen way. I was aware of him being in Nick Dear's play adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but I never got the chance to see it at the National Theatre, it got incredible reviews with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller alternation between playing both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. Not only did it have two incredible principle actors, but the director was non other than the incredibly talented Danny Boyle. I was grieving at not being able to see the stage show, but then the National Theatre  waved their magic wands and made it possible for anybody to see it. The National Theatre, recorded some of their stage shows and Frankenstein was one of the many plays that was recorded. So thus we have The National Theatre Live, making the wishes of a theatre, movie and book enthusiast come true. They have been showing Frankenstein for a while at independent cinemas, but I haven't been able to go until Thursday gone. So I went to The Lighthouse cinema in Wolverhampton, more excited than I had been a while to watch the two hour long recording of the play. Was I disappointed? Silly question. It was utterly captivating and evocative. It was beautifully acted and in this recording it was Johnny Lee Miller who played the Creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein. This play was humorous, poignant, deeply saddening and exciting. As principle actors I couldn't pick fault with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller. Frankenstein being as old as it is, still seems so modern. It deals with modern topics, it can be applied to modern life. It's a play about morals, and human duty and behaviour. It is perfect.