Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein

So, we all know I love the theatre, and musical theatre is always a winner, but when it comes to encouraging Mr BookwormandTheatremouse to enjoy the musicals it can be a challenge. However, as his birthday gift, I got him tickets to see ‘Young Frankenstein’ (there was no thought of me when I picked this gift, promise) because it looked very silly and it starred Ross Noble – I mean, what else do you need?

The show is on at The Garrick in London, which is a theatre that I have not been to before; however, it is just along from the National Portrait Gallery, which is one of my favourite spots in London. The theatre is an absolute delight – although it is fairly small, I suspect that there is not a bad view (we were upper circle), as it is well laid out, so you seem to have a good view from most seats.

Enough about the theatre – let’s talk about the show. I did not know too much about it, other than I was sure it was going to be good fun, as it involves the imagination of Mel Brooks and it was starring Ross Noble (I may have mentioned that already); that was enough to convince me that it was going to be good fun. And, oh my, was it good fun: you sense from the moment that the first note strikes up (which had the lady behind us in the giggles) that it is going to be a show that everyone enjoys, whether they are in it or in the audience.

Everyone on the stage was superb, with true enjoyment of what they were doing and so much natural comic timing you could not help but smile all the way through the production. There is so much cheeky humour, it is like an extended game of innuendo bingo, but it is so cleverly done that you could blink and miss it (other than in the number ‘Roll in the Hay’ – that does not leave much to the imagination), but you will no doubt be rolling in the aisles throughout the jokes.

Mel Brooks certainly has a skill for finding the funny side in the cinema triumphs of the age, so ‘Young Frankenstein’ is a gentle mick-take of the old-fashioned horror films that so many enjoyed in the early days of cinema. You may see some of the gags coming if you have watched any such films, but you still appreciate every moment, and probably laugh even more as you realise how obvious the plots of so many of those films were.

This was another production where there was no star, as every member of the cast (although, I am not going to lie, I did think that Ross Noble’s Igor was very good), orchestra and crew made the show what it was: an absolute triumph. I can understand why so many people have been to see it more than once because I am keen to head back. I am, also, pretty sure that Mr BookwormandTheatremouse would say the same – when he has finished laughing and humming show tunes.

Have you been to see ‘Young Frankenstein’? What did you think?

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