The production, written and directed by Jeff James, will open at the Kingston-Upon-Thames based theatre in spring 2027 before heading to the Leeds Playhouse.
The Rose Theatre has announced a brand new production of ‘Frankenstein’, based on Mary Shelley’s classic story, adapted for this stage show by Jeff James (Shooting Hedda Gabler and Persuasion).
As a co-production between the Rose Theatre and Leeds Playhouse, Frankenstein will first run in Kingston-Upon-Thames from the 16th April until 8th May 2027 before travelling up to Leeds from the 12th to the 29th May 2027.
A scientist creates life in the laboratory and unleashes forces he cannot control. Nothing will ever be the same. It’s the future. It’s the past. It’s right now.
Ever since its publication over two centuries ago, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has captivated readers. As science advances, it is a story that becomes ever more relevant. Frankenstein is a warning from the past about the perils of the future.
Casting and further creative team for the production will be announced in due course.
Speaking of the news, Jeff James said: “Two years ago, Chris Haydon suggested that I might want to stage Frankenstein. Rereading it, I was struck by the fact that Mary Shelley didn’t just write a novel, she created a myth. Her story has been adapted so many times, and in such different ways, that the story itself has become a kind of Frankenstein’s monster. I am so thrilled to be bringing my version to life in two theatres with a special place in my heart: the Rose Theatre, where I had the best times making Persuasion and Shooting Hedda Gabler, and Leeds Playhouse, which was my local theatre when I was growing up. I can’t wait for audiences to see what I’ve been cooking up in my own “workshop of filthy creation”, and I hope their eyeballs will start from their sockets, just as Victor Frankenstein’s were said to do in 1818.”
Meanwhile, Christopher Haydon, Rose Theatre Artistic Director,said: “Jeff James has created two unique and compelling productions for the Rose stage. Persuasion was joyfulness distilled, Shooting Hedda Gabler was terror personified. He has a unique theatrical vision that is a perfect match for Frankenstein – a story that is so deeply embedded in our cultural DNA. It is a particular thrill to be producing this show in partnership with Leeds Playhouse – a theatre I have long admired and which now has a dynamic new leader in Tom Wright. I’ve no doubt that this production will give audiences in both London and Yorkshire just the jolt they are looking for!”
For more information visit: https://www.rosetheatre.org/whats-on/frankenstein-1byr