Frankenstein's Boy

Kimwun Perehinec and Eric Woolfe in Frankenstein's Boy. Photo by Dawn Weaver.

Alchemy takes a monstrous form in Frankenstein's Boy, a haunting story stitched together by Toronto's master of Halloween theatre, Eric Woolfe. Now playing at the Red Sandcastle Theatre, Frankenstein's Boy tells the tale of Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant, Frye, who has escaped the angry mob that murdered his master. Haunted by his master's ghost, Frye seeks refuge in the back of a greasy diner where he meets and falls in love with a kindhearted waitress named Maggie (Kimwun Perehinec) who takes pity on his wretched soul. Little does Maggie suspect how far Frye will go to keep his love for her alive. 

Featuring puppetry, parlour magic and artfully gruesome special effects, Frankenstein's Boy takes the audience deep into a grisly and corrupt B-movie world where good and evil are inextricably connected. The devilish Woolfe stars as Dr. Frankenstein, Frye and a number of characters mostly portrayed by puppets, alongside Perehinec as the innocent-turned-ugly Maggie and others. Both performers move seamlessly between parts and puppets, telling Woolfe's strange and seductive story with convincing intensity. And director Marjorie Chan works wonders staging this complex production in the tiny Red Sandcastle theatre space. Frankenstein's Boy is not perfectly polished yet, but it's great fun to watch a new Woolfe creation find its legs.

Frankenstein's Boy runs until November 8 at the Red Sandcastle Theatre (922 Queen Street East). Tickets can be purchased online at eldrtichtheatre.ca. Seating is very limited.