FRAME NARRATIVE
by Emily Sheehan

“You want a monster? I’ll show you a monster…”

A revered filmmaker is doing the festival circuit for her latest cinematic adaptation of a literary classic; Mary Shelly’s Frankenstien. But a young critic accuses her of the inspiration landing too close to home. There must be a traumatic backstory to explain why she would want to tell such dark stories. Meanwhile, rumors about the treatment of the actors on set reveals tension between the film’s two leading ladies; a faded 90s horror scream queen and the Gen-Z it girl of psychological thrillers.

Artistic Director Lucy Clements (Winner Best Director Sydney Theatre Awards) directs Emily Sheehan’s (Winner Rodney Seaborn Award) new gothic thriller, that traces the evolution of gothic literature to 90s trashy horror, and asks whether you can ever truly separate a work of fiction from its author.

★★★★★

“Frame Narrative intellectually challenges the audience to reconsider how they view narrative” – Sydney Scoop

★★★★.5
“If I may indulge for just a moment, THIS is the story we needed inspired by Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein. This production by New Ghosts Theatre Company ticks all my boxes for great feminist theatre: a female-centric story written by a woman directed by a woman.” – Sydney Theatre Review

★★★★
“quintessentially creepy, clever and entertaining and recommended without reservation” – Stage Noise

★★★★
“The warp and weft of the piece may pull inspiration from the past but the work is completely original… A demanding construct with wonderful performances.” – Theatre Now

“this New Ghosts Theatre Company production is exemplary. In fact it’s hard to imagine the play being done better than it is by director Lucy Clements and her exceptional cast” – Sydney Morning Herald

“An original and brave work” – City Hub

Cast and Creative Team

Playwright: Emily Sheehan
Director: Lucy Clements
Producer: Emma Wright
Set Designer: Soham Apte
Costume Designer: Rita Naidu
Lighting Designer: Spencer Herd
Sound Designer: Sam Cheng
Stage Manager: Alex Liang
Assistant Stage Manager: Oscar Ali
Intimacy Coordinator: Shondelle Pratt
Dramaturg: Tamar Saphra
Assistant Director: Jeremi Campese
Assistant Producers: Megan Sampson, Shannon Thomas, Claudia Elbourne
Assistant Set & Costume Designer: Bella Wellstead
Assistant Sound Designer: Sparks Sanders Robinson
Assistant Lighting Designer: Isobel Morrissey
Rehearsal Assistant: Jollee Hacadurian-Sacco
Cast (of 5): Madeline Li, Megan O’Connell, Jennifer Rani, Charles Upton, Emma Wright

Dates + Ticketing

Season: March 8 – 30

Times: 7.30pm Tues-Sat, 5pm Sun, 2pm Sat matinees (16/03, 23/03, 30/03) (note: no performance on Friday 29/03)

Ticket Prices:

• Previews & Cheap Tuesday: $35 + booking fee
• Adult: $45-75 + booking fee
• Concession: $35-55 + booking fee

Approximate Run Time: 90 minutes

Content Warnings: presence of a firearm, gunshots, blood, haze, substance abuse, references to miscarriage and mental illness.

This production is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.