YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN - THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL Marie Clark Musical Theatre Goodwood Institute Theatre Until 08 Nov 2014 Review by Luke Wagner With the Halloween season upon us once again, we are inundated with witches, zombies, ghosts, werewolves – and of course monsters. Marie Clark Musical Theatre well and truly brings the latter to life with their production of Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein”. When Victor Frankenstein passes away the Transylvanian villagers are relieved that their days of being terrified are over. Unfortunately for them, the family name lives on in the form of intellectual professor Dr Frederick Frankenstein. Frederick is not so fond of the family business and plans to leave his fiancée for a short time whilst he sorts out his grandfather’s estate. Upon arrival, Frederick is persuaded to rejoin the family business – with disastrous results. Director Brian Godfrey is to be commended for his attention to detail in creating a thoroughly enjoyable show. The overall production values were high and the pace never dropped. The choreography (by Rachel Dow) and musical direction (by Ben Stefanoff) melded together seamlessly to create a solid musical. The brilliant tap routine that accompanied “Puttin’ on the Ritz” was fantastic. The set (design by Rodney Bates) was brilliant and multifunctional. The rotating sets really enhanced the comedy and gave the spooky castle more character. The main cast worked brilliantly together. Kristin Stefanoff as Inga is devilishly cheeky and Anton Schrama is hilarious as Igor. Schrama’s physical comedy is spot-on and provides many laughs. Katherine Chase as Frank’s fiancée Elizabeth is a real scene stealer. She hams up her entendre-filled songs brilliantly and produces a brilliant character. Penni Hamilton-Smith as Frau Blucher, the loud housekeeper, and Shay Aitken as The Monster are equally hilarious and are always completely immersed in their characters. Chris Daniels as Frederick Frankenstein is excellent. His vocals are perfect and his portrayal of the uptight professor is hilarious. He is a true professional and is the highlight of the show. Everyone involved in this production was buzzing with excitement, and it may have something to do with their personal well-wishes they received from the man himself, Mr Mel Brooks, but it also could have been because they are all involved in a brilliant show. An absolute must-see musical filled with plenty of laughs. Brian Godfrey is a reviewer for Adelaide Theatre Guide.