Title: Joined at The Heart
Author: Frances Anne Bartram
Date of First Publication: 1 August 2007
Place of Publication: Junction 2 Theatre in Cambridge, UK
Type: Play
Characters: Victor Frankenstein; Elizabeth Frankenstein
Themes: BYRONIC HERO; POSTHUMAN
This is a musical by Graham Brown and Geoff Meads, originally directed by Frances Brownlie. It opens with a young Victor Frankenstein, living at home with his parents. His parents take in and care for an orphaned Elizabeth. They raise her as if she had always been a part of their family, and her bond with Victor forms quickly. As they grow up alongside one another, their world is shattered when Victor’s mother passes away. This is a devastating loss for both Victor and Elizabeth. The suffering and pain from this experience inspires him to take up science and experiment with bringing dead matter to life. He embarks on a journey to achieve the capabilities of eternal life. Elizabeth and Victor begin to fall in love with one another. Their relationship evolves alongside his scientific journey.
This story is similar in the way it has Victor vowing to make a scientific breakthrough, yet details are changed. This is the same situation for his relationship with Elizabeth. It is similar because she was taken in as an orphan and they eventually fall in love and marry. But in the musical however, she is present through his trials and experiments as he seeks to gain the power to bestow eternal life. The musical has no mention of the Creature or any other characters. It is solely focused on the love story between Victor and Elizabeth and Victor’s desperate haste to end death.
Administrative Notes: Eric Obezo. CSUF. Mark LaMonica (edit). Sam Drake (editing), CSUF.