Young Frankenstein –  Garrick Theatre until 29th September

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review by Caroline Hanks-Farmer

Everyone loves the thought of a new musical hitting town but one also written by Mel Brooks, can only mean hilarity ensues. Young Frankenstein is testament to that statement.

Synopsis

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Hadley Fraser) pronounced ‘Fronk-en-steen’ – inherits a castle in Transylvania leading him to fulfil his grandfather’s legacy by bringing a corpse back to life. With help and hindrance from hunchback henchman Igor (Cory English), housekeeper Frau Blücher (Lesley Joseph) & buxom assistant Inga (Summer Strallen), his experiment yields madcap success and monstrous consequences.

Photo Credit Manuel Harlan

Review

The cast led by Hadley Fraser as Frankenstein open the show, with of course, a song about The Brain. This pretty much sets the scene for two and a half hours of silliness and undiluted laugh out loud fun!  Dianne Pilkington plays uptight fiancé Elizabeth. Her opening number of Don’t Touch Me outlines why she remains so immaculate at all times. Especially with her trusty entourage of stylists at her beck and call. Vocals always a strength, it is the characterisation, we are also undoubtedly shown here.

Fraser and English’s duet Together Again illustrates both of their immense talents as performers and certainly was an audience pleaser. As with other Brooks’ penned musicals there was of course a saucy buxom blond role, played to the hilt by Summer Strallen. Every pore of Strallen oozed talent, showing her family’s Musical Theatre pedigree to its utmost.

Photo Credit Manuel Harlan

We all know and love Lesley Joseph as being a comedy actress on the small screen, but I for one had underestimated how good her comic timing is. The role of Frau Blücher suited her perfectly and it really was a charm to see her hamming it up to the hilt.

However the number that will stay in my memory for days, bringing forth a little chuckle as I recall it,   is Puttin’ On The Ritz led by The Monster (Nic Greenshields). Without doubt it had the audience howling with laughter and showed the whole cast to be the triple threats we knew them to be. Whenever I hear that song again I will remember The Monsters take on it for sure.

Photo Credit Manuel Harlan

In Summary

If you want throughly entertaining, which requires no thought, just the ability to laugh, then this is the show for you. A monstrously fun night out![vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Book Now!” shape=”square” color=”success” size=”lg” align=”center” css_animation=”lightSpeedIn” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcarnstheatrepassion.entstix.com%2Ftickets%2Fyoung-frankenstein||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row]