Okay, so before we start, during this review, we’re going to be talking about the pop culture monster called Frankenstein or Frankenstein’s monster. As the creature has had stories outside its original source material, which simply call it Frankenstein, we’re going to do the same. And yes, we all know the real monster was the Doctor; we’ve read the book, we’re a science-fiction magazine and the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley is pretty much required reading over at STARBURST Towers. (It is the grandfather of the genre, after all.)
To Be Frank is a clown show inspired by the character Frankenstein. Professional clown Michael Hockey is the monster. He arrives with a guttural scream, green skin, big boots, a mop of black hair and is very tall. He clomps around, falls to the floor and then slowly gets back up as our titular hero attempts to work out how his limbs work. As he learns to move, he makes hilarious sounds, in a way that might be all too real for anyone over forty. Or anyone who’s spent too long on a nice sofa, to be honest.
This is the kind, gentle and easily scared creature that you find on Halloween decorations, rather than the sad and confused abomination found in Mary Shelley’s genre-defining novel. FRANK is a family show that leans toward young folk; it’s spooky fun, not body horror. There is a lot of mucking about with balloons as our lovely monster tries to figure out love.
Stripping away the costume, this is a solid hour of clowning silliness. Mild audience interaction, quite a lot of falling to the floor, and some loud noises that may or may not surprise you. The performer fills the room with a sense of innocent joy, and though this isn’t a very deep show, it is rather charming.
