The subject may pertain to events almost 200 years old, but Shared Experience’s Mary Shelley is a thoroughly contemporary and familiar setting: philosophers decrying conformity and the status quo; utopian ideals and free love; the omnipresence of debt; scandal and celebrity gossip.
The first act pings back and forth with Pride and Prejudice style banter – the unfazed father, flappable mother, gaggle of daughters and visiting heart throb – but we are introduced to quite another state of affairs as the second act begins. For Mary Shelley’s story is one racked with the scandal and sadness of her mother’s, feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, life.
The cast of six create a family atmosphere that is completely endearing and one in which it is impossible not to see facets of our own homes. Kristin Atherton plays the title role of Mary with intelligence and an ample amount of feistiness while Shannon Tarbet just about steals the spotlight from her as the coquettish Jane: youngest step-sister to Mary.
Ben Lamb has all the required physicality to play the illustrious and passionate Percy Shelley – the womaniser who means well – and does so with energy and conviction. William Chubb as Mary’s father, Flora Nicholson as Mary’s half sister Fanny and Sadie Shimmin as Mrs Goodwin are all equally wonderful and each brings their own dose of charm to the production.
Polly Teale’s Mary Shelley unfolds like our favourite and all-engrossing TV drama but with the added luxury of some beautifully choreographed sequences, lighting and sound. Dusty bookshelves create the setting of Skinner Street and beyond, giving us a peek onto what’s happening in the background and creating another layer on stage and in our imagination.
Rather like the story told by the play, this Shared Experience’s production did not come without its own misfortune on its first night at the Oxford Playhouse.
Tuesday 29th May saw Jonathan Oliver take the role of William Goodwin in the stead of actor William Chubb. Oliver did a very gallant job – script in hand – of replacing Chubb at half a day’s notice and brought a new dimension to the character, with its own distinct humour. How fortuitous that Goodwin was a writer and philosopher: the script Oliver carried might very well have been some of the thinker’s notes he had been mulling over!
Very sadly, the second half of the performance had to be called off due to one of the actresses suffering heat exhaustion. Thank heavens she made a full recovery and was able to continue with the show the following day. The one plus side to all these unforeseen circumstances was that I was able to see the play twice – or the first act, anyway– and with two different actors playing Goodwin.
Rather like re-watching a film, one gets so much more out of a second viewing but with the added bonus of seeing all the subtle differences in the way the actors render their characters.
Helen Edmunson’s play still leaves a lot unsaid about the motivation and inspiration for the 18-year-old Mary to create her tale of the scientific and moral boundary-pushing Frankenstein who creates much more than he could have ever imagined. The unfolding of Mary’s early life gives us clues but ultimately leaves it up to us to decide what drove her to write that perennial novel.
Mary Shelley makes its next stop in Hull before moving to the Tricycle Theatre in London from 12th June – 7th July. Highly recommended. Buy tickets here.
