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 this 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.
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.
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.
19-year-old Masha, 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.
Frankenstein ended its run on the November 16, but 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 the 27th to the 30th of November. Book your tickets here: Conservatoire EAST Events - 8 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
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