Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's 1818 novel has been adapted for stage and screen many times, but this co-production of London's Royal Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet appears to be the first related major dance work. This inaugural 2016 London mounting is visually lavish, with elaborate period sets and costumes by John Macfarlane. The ballet itself, however, is a curiously meandering, unfocused affair, choreographed in an unimaginatively conventional style by Liam Scarlett to an old-fashioned, ersatz romantic new score by Lowell Liebermann. It can be applauded for trying to shoehorn Shelley's entire convoluted plot (with some omissions, of course) into a space of little more than two hours, but in reality the first act wastes a good deal of time on the domestic lives of the Frankenstein family and Victor's studies in anatomy (including a bizarre ensemble dance with severed limbs) before ending with the re-animation of the Creature. The second act returns to Victor's estate in Geneva, where his monster comes to demand fatherly affection and, when refused, targets Frankenstein's friends and family before confronting his creator himself. On the plus side, Liebermann's music is well-played by the company orchestra under Koen Kessels, and the production features excellent dancing by Federico Bonelli (Victor), Laura Morera (his childhood sweetheart and later wife), Alexander Campbell (his friend Clerval), and Steven McRae (the Creature), as well as the large supporting cast and corps. Presented in DTS 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an introduction to the ballet and behind-the-scenes featurettes. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)