james whale: beyond frankenstein

A theatrical journey through a cinematic world, this solo show by writer and performer Tim Larkfield tells the story of film director James Whale’s career in 1930’s Hollywood through a myriad of voices and characters.

From Frankenstein to The Invisible Man, James Whale directed some of the greatest movies of all time. His work was massively influential but for many people his name is largely forgotten. So how did a working-class boy from Dudley end up in Hollywood, and why did he disappear from view?

Whale’s acclaimed West End production of wartime drama Journey’s End took him to the US and then to Hollywood, where the fast-growing audience for “talkies” demanded directors who knew how to handle dialogue. His adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a huge hit for Universal Studios, and he went on to direct more than 20 other films over the next decade, ranging from light comedies to period drama and the musical Showboat. But it’s his contributions to the horror genre like The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man and sequel The Bride of Frankenstein that are best remembered.

An out gay man working in the studio system at the peak of Hollywood’s golden age, Whale’s moment in the movie-land spotlight lasted little more than 10 years. James Whale: Beyond Frankenstein shines a light on the life and work of one of our greatest film makers, while examining a sense of otherness and the outsider, and how his films still resonate, 90 years on.