Frankenstein

By M.A. Edwards

‘What if the end of life is not the end? What if there was a way... a way to bring someone back? Would you?’



Inspired by the classic horror by Mary Shelley, this version of Frankenstein focuses on the journey of the titular character Victoria Frankenstein. After losing her mother at a young age, she was raised in a household that condemned her passion for the sciences. Thankfully, Doctor Waldman sees the spark inside Victoria, and fosters it; providing her with the opportunity to be the greatest scientist of all time. However, the loss of Frankenstein’s mother stays at the forefront of her mind, and when she finds a way to re-animate the dead, she is cast out by Waldman for meddling in the powers of Gods. Fuelled by her passion for science, her determination to prove all that oppose her wrong, and her desperation to see her mother once more, Frankenstein sets about her experiments... only her first surpasses all expectations. Frankenstein’s creation is brought alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olcan Press
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781916000681

Book preview

Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley

Adapted by M.A. Edwards

Copyright © 2023 M.A. Edwards

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9160006-8-1

Cast

Mary Shelley/Bride - Mary Shelley is the opener and closer of the play. She is headstrong and wants to prove to the world that a woman can do anything a man can do, and better.

Victoria Frankenstein - The main protagonist of the play. She is a young woman that in many ways represents Mary Shelley’s characteristics in the story.

Adam - The monster, created by joining different pieces of body. He should look grotesque, but have a childish innocence at the beginning. Some sympathy must be felt for Adam, to convey his transformation.

Alphonse Frankenstein - The father of Victoria, he has a derogatory view on women and should be disliked by the audience.

William Frankenstein - The son of Alphonse, and brother to Victoria. He is the ideal son for Alphonse.

Doctor Waldman - The doctor is a fatherly figure to Victoria and supports her in to accomplish greatness.

Justine Clearwater - The woman who takes the blame for the murder of her love, William. There is a close relationship between Justine and Victoria.

Caroline Frankenstein - The mother of Victoria, who appears in her moment of need. A warm, loving woman who advises Victoria in the second act.

Heather - The blind nun who is murdered. The death of Heather gives Adam the first understanding of how humans treat each other.

Policemen x 2

Frankenstein’s guests (Vicrum)

Drunkmen x 3

Stile

Burke

Hare

Sellers x3

Maureen - Thick Scottish accent, landlord of the place Frankenstein stays.

Table of Contents

Act One – Scene One

(The curtains open. The light is low, as if lit by candlelight. Most of the stage is in darkness, with a spotlight focusing on a desk and chair in the centre of the stage. On which stands a full decanter, an ink pot and a candle. Sat at the table is Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley is angrily scribbling on a manuscript for Frankenstein. As she does, lightning strikes and the lights come up for a second, before returning the stage to mainly candlelight.)

Mary: (angrily) ‘No one would believe that a woman could be a doctor’. Wouldn’t they? Ha! Maybe you do not believe that a woman could write a novel as well. And not just any novel. But a supernatural novel. A supernatural novel that will whisper fear and dread into even the bravest man’s heart and will be remembered for years to come!

(Sarcastically) Of course, perhaps you are right… perhaps a buyer would walk into a bookshop, pick up my novel to purchase it and then, after looking at the author’s name, would say ‘Oh, I was going to buy this book, but not now! A woman wrote it!’.

Well, fine. Brilliant. Fantastic. I will change the book. I will take out every mention of a strong female character to suit your misogynistic needs of having a male protagonist to carry the plot, to make it more ‘believable’.

(She stops, slams her pencil down on the table and pours herself half a glass of whiskey. After looking at the glass, she pours herself a full glass from the decanter and holds the glass up to the audience).

Mary: Pigs… I will know though. I will know the truth behind the story. Here is to a modern, open thinking society.

(Mary lifts the glass up to the audience and sips. Then, after considering, drinks the whole glass. It is important that whatever drink Mary Shelley drinks, Frankenstein mimics later.)

Mary: (to audience) Ridiculous, isn’t it? The narrow-mindedness of them… the men of this world…Because, of course, they must be the smartest in the room! How dare anyone think otherwise! My husband writes poem after poem, ‘Ode to the West Wind’, ‘Ozymandias’, receiving rapturous applause from his male comrades, regardless of their quality. But a woman, the wife of the famous poet, wants to write and release a horror story- suddenly the world is laughing at her. Or at least the men are…. Saying it is impossible for a woman, so ‘gentle of mind’ and ‘uneducated in the world’, to write such a thing. But I will prove them wrong, the joke will be on them… with this…

(Mary waves the manuscript to the audience. Then she totters over and sits on