Frankenstein’s Wedding at Kirkstall Abbey
After returning from a rather boozy Cheltenham trip to watch the Gold Cup on the Friday (a culture trip of a different kind which warrants it’s own blog entirely), the last thing I wanted to do was stand and watch live theatre outside in the cold on Saturday night at Kirkstall Abbey. But I have to say what a wonderful event Frankenstein’s Wedding was! Quite surreal really, particularly the setting and the dress code, which was all-but adhered to by everyone, including myself. A bit like a Monster’s Ball I suppose, which is kind of what it was.
Audience participation has never been my strongest point; so imagine my surprise when I found myself fully embracing the ‘first dance’ sequence along with 12,000 others. I have to say that this audience unity simply added to the occasion. It also warmed us up a bit in the Baltic-type conditions. Anyway, the performance was great as were the audience and I left feeling rather privileged to be part of something really quite unique. Which finally brings me to my point. Our country and our region are steeped in history, rich in landmarks and have marvellous settings, often overlooked too freely.
What better way to appreciate these areas of natural charm and space than to put on a performance, which embraces their uniqueness? One culture braces another if you like.
It’s fair to say that Leeds as a city lacks an ‘arena’ to host performance events in the same way as the MEN or O2. So maybe, until we do, diversification on this scale is the way forward. By doing this we are promoting the region, not just for the event itself, but also for the originality, creativity and imagination attached to the venue. Much more alluring don’t you think?
