National Theatre: Frankenstein
This study approaches the National Theatre’s 2011 production of Frankenstein as a free choice literary work. At the beginning of the unit, students are provided with excerpts from Mary Shelley’s novel to consider how the creature has been portrayed through the original literature before watching the filmed production. This helps students appreciate the role dramatical and theatrical choices play in creating a work for the stage, and also helps them consider some of the strengths and limitations of remediation.
In May 2020, the filmed productions were made publicly available on YouTube as part of the National Theatre “At Home” campaign to help raise money for theatres in the West End. The National Theatre does offer subscriptions to educational institutions who wish to use their productions for instruction; they also offer several play specific resources for teachers and students.
Teaching Resources
The documents below include an assignment overview, passages from Shelley’s Frankenstein, and a sample annotated passage.