BBC Three is being ambitious on Saturday 19 March 2011 when it will broadcast a re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s science-fiction classic Frankenstein live from Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds. The musical play aims to remain true to the themes of the original story in front of a live audience in the abbey’s grounds.
Live drama will be blended with music and dance as it tells the story of the lavish society wedding of Doctor Victor Frankenstein (played by Andrew Gower) to his childhood sweetheart Elizabeth Lavenza (played by Lacey Turner). As the wedding progresses, Frankenstein’s monster (played by David Harewood) will make his way through the streets of Leeds towards the ceremony.
The live audience will participate in the play itself, as wedding guests and have been encouraged to dress accordingly. To prepare for this, the BBC with Phoenix Dance Theatre of Leeds have been training 2000 people over the past few weeks to learn a special wedding dance routine.
The Actors in Frankenstein’s Wedding… Live in Leeds
Up-and-coming actor Andrew Gower recently graduated from the Oxford School of Drama and last year won the annual Spotlight Prize, awarded to the most talented acting student. As well as this role, he is also playing Doctor Mullery in ITV’s new medical drama Monroe.
Lacey Turner is best known for her long-running role as Stacey Slater in Eastenders, which she landed in 2004 and from which she quit in 2010. This year, she played Lia in the opening episode of the third series of Being Human.
David Harewood’s TV career started with a small role in a 1990 episode of Casualty. He went on to play Derek Puley in three episodes of Spatz before landing the role of Daniel in 1995’s Agony Again. From 1999 to 2001, he played Mike Gregson in Always and Everyone and, at the same time, DI Joe Robinson in The Vice. In 2005, he was Max Robertson in Fat Friends. He went on to play Major Simon Brooks in The Palace, Patrick Nye in The Last Enemy, Freddie Graham in Criminal Justice and Tuck in Robin Hood. More recently, he was Joshua Naismith in the two-part Doctor Who episode “The End of Time.”
The Team Behind Frankenstein’s Wedding… Live in Leeds
Frankenstein's Wedding… Live In Leeds is a collaboration between BBC Three, BBC North and BBC Cymru Wales. The event is supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, Arts Council England through the National Lottery, Marketing Leeds, Leeds City Council and Phoenix Dance Theatre.
The creative director is Colin Teague, musical director Steve Sidwell, producer Tony Followell and executive producers Meredith Chambers, Pat Connor, Richard Fell and Eleanor Moran.
Written by Chloe Moss, the adaptation was commissioned by Jan Younghusband, commissioning editor of BBC music and events, and Danny Cohen, former controller of BBC Three.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Subtitled The Modern Prometheus, the 1818 book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein who builds a man out of bits of body parts and is then horrified by what he has created and leaves the monster to its own devices. But when the monster kills his brother, Frankenstein realises he needs to act. There have been many films either of the novel itself or featuring Frankenstein’s monster, and it is featured in this list of ten best science fiction books of all time.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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