Craigdarroch Castle will be alive through the month of October with the sights and sounds of Mary Shelley鈥檚 Frankenstein, thanks to Victoria actor Jason Stevens.
Known for his annual one-man productions at the castle on Joan Crescent, Stevens will tackle 10 characters from Mary Shelley鈥檚 1818 novel in his abridged version. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to be as faithful as I can be, in the limited time I have,鈥� Stevens said of the 50-minute performance.
His month-long Frankenstein run at Craigdarroch Castle gets underway at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Subsequent performances will be staged each Thursday through Oct. 29 in the castle鈥檚 dance hall, located on the fourth floor.
The performances are designed to be upbeat and energetic. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like long theatre,鈥� Stevens said with a laugh. 鈥淲ith three-hour shows I get restless. I like to do it as quick and dirty as possible, and to quickly give people an idea of what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
The first half of the story is told from the perspective of the mad scientist Victor Frankenstein. Stevens switches during the second half to the viewpoint of the monster that has been created.
The play he鈥檚 written has moments of horror, which is why it鈥檚 staged at Halloween, but it鈥檚 a tragedy more than anything else, Stevens said. 鈥淭he monster doesn鈥檛 have a name. One of the fundamental things about being human is your name 鈥� it鈥檚 the first thing you get. But he is denied that, and is treated universally with horror and contempt, and knows it. He鈥檚 been mistreated badly.鈥�
Stevens is known for his one-man A Christmas Carol, a seasonal staple based on the Charles Dickens classic. He has performed both Frankenstein and A Christmas Carol for years at Craigdarroch Castle, and says Frankenstein is a little easier than A Christmas Carol, which has 17 characters. 鈥淭his is really just two monologues, broken down into several parts.鈥�
Stevens was one performance into his version of Treasure Island at Craigdarroch Castle when COVID-19 led to the shutdown of live theatre around the city in March. (鈥淚 only got to do it once, but it was great,鈥� he said of the Robert Louis Stevenson tale.)
Now that socially-distanced theatre is a possibility, organizers have taken steps to ensure Frankenstein checks all the necessary boxes. Stevens said he will be repositioned on the stage to ensure sufficient space between himself and the audience. Seating is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
鈥淯sually, it鈥檚 a nice tight, packed group. That will be different this time. I don鈥檛 know what to expect. But that鈥檚 the thing about live theatre. You adapt. We shall see.鈥�
Tickets to Frankenstein are available for $30 in advance from . For more information, phone 250-592-5323. Craigdarroch Castle is located at 1050 Joan Cres.
