“I couldn’t believe the democracy and accessiblity of the Fringe.”
WHO: Nick Hennegan
WHAT: “The award-winning Maverick Theatre Company presents The Birth of Frankenstein by Robert Lloyd George. Adapted and Directed by Nick Hennegan. Original Music by Robb Williams. Teenager Mary Godwin and her new lover Percy Shelley travel to Geneva to spend the summer with the poet Lord Byron, Byron proposes that they ‘each write a ghost story’. Unable to think of a story, young Mary became anxious: but the events of evenings in Geneva lead to a nightmare that becomes – Frankenstein. Maverick’s committed to access.”
WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – The Cellar (Venue 33)
WHEN: 12:30 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
No. My first time to the Fringe was in 1992…and it changed my life. I’d written an adaptation of a Shakespeare classic. (I left school at 15 without any qualifications, so the bard held no fear for me! I’d never studied Shakespeare) It was called ‘Henry V – Lion of England’. We performed it for one night at the mac – the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham. At the end, I thought everyone was running for the bar, but it turned out to be a standing ovation! In the bar afterwards I was approached by a man. “That was great,” he said. “We’d like to take you to the Edinburgh Fringe.”
“Whats the Edinburgh Fringe?” I replied. A few months later I found out! The man was John Starkey from Starward – a management company that had Jasper Carrott as a client. I couldn’t believe the democracy and accessiblity of the Fringe. ‘Lion of England’ won – then lost – a Fringe First and ended up travelling the world. I also couldn’t believe my beloved home city – and England’s Second City after London – hadn’t got a SINGLE Fringe or pub theatre venue, apart from the mac. So began my campaign to present theatre and art for people who haven’t thought of giving it a go! And Edinburgh is now an annual glorious agony. I fear for the future of the Fringe with its rocketing costs. But the dichotomy of Edinburgh is that the reason we can afford to be here is due to the supporters we have met by being here!
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
The Birth of Frankenstein has had a difficult birth as a production – mainly me securing finance – and because it was confirmed so late, we are now NOT in the Fringe Brochure and not even in the Pleasance brochure. Ten years ago I think this would have been the kiss of death, but so far we have reasonable sales. Ask me again at the end of the month!
I’ve ordered fewer flyers in an attempt to be kinder to the planet. Again, sales by the end of the month will judge me!
Tell us about your show.
The idea for the show and the original script is by Robert Lloyd George who I worked with last year on ‘Winston and David’, about how Robert’s Great Great Grandad mentored a young Winston Churchill and which we produced at Underbelly. I’ve changed the focus a little bit, but, as with Winston and David, the main protagonist is a young woman – in this case, Mary Shelley, who at the age of 15 eloped with the older, married poet, Percy Shelley, then at the age of 18 wrote Frankenstein. Her life is fascinating with many modern parallels. The show is being produced by the Maverick Theatre Company, which I established in Birmingham in 1994 to facilitate new audiences for theatre. We auditioned for actors and had over a thousand applications and I am delighted with the three actors we have, Teryn Gray, Callum Pardoe and Jamie Patterson. They are producing a masterclass in acting and I attend almost every show just to watch them.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Because I’ve been so involved in getting The Birth of Frankenstein into shape, I’ve not seen anything much yet, although The BoyBand Musical – a mix of A Christmas Carol and NSYNC, is great fun and HoneyBEE is a former hit show by and starring the talented Elle Dillon-Reams, who a few years ago did a brilliant job in my ‘Henry V – Lion of England.’ But see as much as you can. We all REALLY need your support… and love!
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