Frankenstein: How To Make a Monster
In 2016, David was invited to conduct a workshop for the Battersea Arts Centre's Beatbox Academy. This led to David being asked to co-direct the Academy's first full-length theatrical production, alongside Academy founder Conrad Murray. For two years, David worked with Murray and the cast of 6 young beatboxers, spearheading the devising and development of an entirely live beatbox response to Mary Shelley's classic gothic novel, Frankenstein.
The result was FRANKENSTEIN: How To Make A Monster, which originally ran at Battersea Arts Centre March-April 2018 to huge critical acclaim, receiving ★★★★★ in The Observer, The Guardian, The Stage and Miro Magazine.
The show transferred to the Grand Hall of the BAC before heading to the prestigious Traverse Theatre Main Space as part of the British Council Showcase 2019. Garnering a slew of ★★★★★ reviews, FRANKENSTEIN: How To Make A Monster was the highest reviewed show of Edinburgh Festival 2019 and a BBC, The Guardian and The Stage Top Pick of the Fringe.
“outstanding choreography and co-direction from David Cumming and Conrad Murray”
The show, which was recently named the BankSA Pick of the Week at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2020, is now out on a two-year world tour and is set to wow international audiences in Australia, Brazil, USA, Canada, China and Peru. A shortened TV version of the show is currently in post-production and should hit British screens in Spring 2020.
WINNER OffWestEnd 2019 TBC Award for ‘Shows That Defy Categorisation’
WINNER Total Theatre Award 2019 for ‘Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form ’
“A tremendous show...a rip-it-to-pieces-and-remake-it production that galvanises the heart of Shelley’s exclamatory gothic novel with vocal percussion, rap and soaring song.”
“This is an old story made electrically alive. Let it take your breath away.”
“From inventive beatboxing to singing of heartbreaking beauty, you cannot look away for an instant.”