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West Suffolk College students bring Frankenstein to the stage in Bury St Edmunds in production which ‘commanded the audience’s attention’




Students from Conservatoire East, the home of performing arts at West Suffolk College, brought the well-known tale of Frankenstein and his monster to the stage in Bury St Edmunds last week.

The story, based on the iconic 1818 Mary Shelley novel, made its original stage debut at the National Theatre in London in 2011, performed by a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.

Well - Con East’s production may not feature an A-list cast (yet), but it’s safe to say stardom was in the air during this performance.

Masha Skinner as the Creature and Isabelle Walker as Elizabeth Lavenza wowed audiences in Bury St Edmunds during a short run of the iconic play Frankenstein. Picture: Tony Kelly
Masha Skinner as the Creature and Isabelle Walker as Elizabeth Lavenza wowed audiences in Bury St Edmunds during a short run of the iconic play Frankenstein. Picture: Tony Kelly

The two-hour show took place in front of a full house at Con East’s home stage at the West Suffolk College campus.

The production, directed by performing and production arts lecturer Lottie Pook, commanded the audience’s attention from the moment the ‘creature’ first appeared on stage.

I’ll admit - despite being vaguely aware of the plot, I haven’t given Frankenstein much thought since I had to study the novel in high school, so in many ways it felt like I was experiencing the story for the first time.

Elizabeth Lavenza, played by Isabelle Walker. Picture: Tony Kelly
Elizabeth Lavenza, played by Isabelle Walker. Picture: Tony Kelly

It’s always the mark of a well-told story if it has the ability to keep you from thinking about anything else. I was completely immersed in this performance; the palpable sense of darkness, the sincerity of each performer, the exquisitely ominous atmosphere crafted through the intuitive use of staging, sound and light.

This sense of immersion was largely made possible by Masha Skinner’s unflinching commitment to the role of Frankenstein’s monster.

Masha, aged 19, who is currently studying a Level 3 musical theatre course at West Suffolk College, said the role was ‘a deeply emotional piece’ which certainly came across in this interpretation of ‘the creature’.

This was undoubtedly a difficult role to play, but Masha’s performance was a masterclass in capturing the intricacies of an emotionally complex character; not to mention the turbulent contrast of love and hate, softness and hardness, and good vs evil.

Special mention also goes out to the powerful performance of Frankenstein himself, played by Trinity Bayliss Mills, and Elizabeth Lavenza, played by Isabelle Walker.

The cast and crew held nothing back in this production, and as a result, they’ve created a show that stays with you long after the curtain call.

The Conservatoire East team will be returning to the stage with a brand new production at the end of the month – this time with a slight change of pace.

Watch the cast light up the stage once more with their performance of Amelie The Musical from November 27 to 30.

Review by Amy Peckham Driver.