Beautiful Storytelling: Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Dead Review | Ellen Leslie

‍★★★★

Tucked away in theSpace Triplex’s studio space awaits The Beachcombers’ latest play exploring identity and belonging through the eyes of a Chinese exchange student. Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster are Dead follows Zhao Lan (Lan Jiang) as she tries to integrate into her American high school. When she finds out that the school’s drama club is staging Cinderella, she is desperate to land the lead role: Cinderella was the first book she ever read in English, and no one knows the role better than her. But when she gets the part, it doesn’t make her happy, and she finds herself unsure of where she belongs.

The show I attended had a small audience, but that didn’t faze Jiang at all. She moves around the space confidently, using every inch of the floor. Even during the of retelling Cinderella, a story that we’re all familiar with, she captures our attention, demonstrating her skill as a storyteller. Her character is very likeable, which is necessary in a solo show like this.

‍Petunia Hu's script has a compelling storyline that weaves many elements together. Links between Frankenstein, Cinderella and Zhao are surprising, but make sense, particularly when it comes to language. After one of the drama club students criticises her for pronouncing words differently to her, she practices the sounds over and over again, just like the monster did when he was first learning to speak. Zhao also incorporates this idea into her interpretation of Cinderella, creating a backstory that she has learned to sing by listening to the family next door play music to each other.

‍There are lots of storylines, and sometimes they don’t always have the intended effect. Lilia, the daughter of her exchange family, is more like a friend to Zhao: Zhao teaches her Mandarin using traditional rhymes, and Lilia encourages her to join a cultural club at their school. This isn’t to the play’s detriment – their bond is very touching, and grows throughout the play –  but it is different than the author’s intentions. A longer play is needed to really explore all the plot points to their full potential.

‍The stage is bare, except for a few novels in both English and Mandarin, including Cinderella and Frankenstein. Jiang makes good use of these props, and they function as much more than books. For instance, in the opening scene, the books are stacked, representing the tree that Cinderella grows from a twig. Later, a page is used to create origami to show Chinese heritage in Lilia’s family tree. The visibility of the books reminds us of the influence they’ve had on her, and how important they are.

‍Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Dead is a beautifully written play that captures some of the struggles of being an exchange student in America. Brought alive by an exceptionally talented performer and filled with tender moments, it’s definitely a show that deserves more attention.

‍Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Deadwill be performed at theSpace Triplex – Studio until 29 August (not 16, 23) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.

By Ellen Leslie ‍